Religious Leaders’Historic MeetingReligious Leaders’Historic Meeting

February 2007 – The Blue Beret 3

THE BLUE BERETPublished monthly by the:

Public Information OfficeUnited Nations Peacekeeping Force inCyprusHQ UNFICYPPO Box 216421590 NicosiaCyprus

Tel: 2261-4550/4416/4408Fax: 2261-4461E-mail: unficyp-blue-beret@un.org

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Editorial TeamBrian KellyMiriam TaylorNetha KreouzosSgt. Jozef Kocka (Photographer)Anne BurseyCapt. Štefan Zemanovič

Unit Press OfficersSector 1 Capt. Mauricio Silvestre

Sector 2 Capt. Ellie Haywood

Sector 4 Capt Miloš Segeň

MFR Lt. Tom Bell

UNPOL Sgt. Vanessa Stone

UN Flt Lt. Wenceslao Bona

FMPU Capt. Miroslav Svorník

The Blue Beret is UNFICYP’s in-housejournal. Views expressed are of theauthors concerned, and do not neces-sarily conform with official policy.

Articles of general interest (plus photoswith captions) are invited from allmembers of the Force.

Copyright of all material is vested inUN publications, but may be repro-duced with the Editor’s permission.

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2 February 2007 – The Blue Beret

Front Cover: Religious Leaders’ Historic Meeting

Back Cover: Slovak Soldiers Commended

ContentsEditorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2SG’s Senior Management Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Civil Affairs – Care and Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4/5Pyla Tragedy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6BZ Security Outweighs Individual Convenience – SRSG . . . .7Religious Leaders’ Historic Meeting at LPH /

Party Leaders’ Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Pillars into Sector 1 / FC visits FMPU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9The HIVE / New All Female Police Unit in Lebanon . . . . . .10Goat Handler to a Mascot / UNPA Sauna . . . . . . . . . . . . .11From Training ... to the Sporting Scene . . . . . . . . . . .12/13Fond Farewells / Welcome / Sharapova . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Visitors / UNPOL Induction / Dalaras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Faced with an “explosive growth” in demand forUnited Nations peacekeepers around the world,coupled with a “dramatically strained and over-

stretched system,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon isproposing to split the current peacekeeping office intotwo to provide better planning, faster deployment and amore responsive process.

The recommendations, detailed in a letter the SGsent to the General Assembly as part of his ongoingconsultations on his restructuring initiative, call forsplitting the current DPKO into a Department of PeaceOperations and a Department of Field Support, bothheaded by an Under-Secretary-General, the manageriallevel of the current DPKO chief.

“The number of peaceoperations is at an all-timehigh with almost 100,000personnel in the field. Itappears that the figure willrise still further in 2007,” theSG said, noting that reformsin 2000 had aimed to equipDPKO with sufficient capa-bility to launch one newmulti-disciplinary missionper year. “Yet, the past 36months alone have seen the

start-up or expansion of nine field missions, with threeadditional missions currently in active start-up. Over thecourse of the next year, the number of personnel in UNpeace operations could increase by as much as 40%,”he added.

The SG stressed that the new arrangement would beresource-neutral and that the two new departmentswould consolidate operations that are now spreadamong various offices and departments.

Under the plan, the new Department of Peace Opera-tions would consolidate all factors dealing with strategy,planning and deployment while the Department of FieldSupport would take on the responsibility of the current“impossibly overstretched” management.

“Taken together, these measures would bolster andimprove the assistance that Headquarters provides tofield missions and to field personnel contributed byMember States,” Mr. Ban said.

“It would mean more and better policy guidancefrom a dedicated department of Peace Operations;enhanced responsiveness from a Department of FieldSupport, properly equipped and specialized to addressmission support needs; and, by equipping the depart-ment expeditiously with the human, material andfinancial resources they need to do their jobs, a betterway to ensure the safety and security of personnel andthe prospects of successful mandate implementation.”

On 16 February, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’sChef de Cabinet Vijay Nambiar announced thatthe SG’s senior management team of USGs and

above. The new team includes:. Ms. Asha-Rose Migiro of Tanzania as Deputy

Secretary-General;. Ms. Alicia Barcena of Mexico, USG for Management;. Mr. John Holmes, U.K., USG for Humanitarian Affairs;. Mr. Lynn Pascoe, U.S.A., USG for Political Affairs;. Mr. Sha Zukang, China, USG for Economic and Social

Affairs;. Mr. Kiyotaka Akasaka of Japan, USG for Public

Information;. Nicolas Michel, Switzerland, USG for Legal Affairs;. Jean-Marie Guehenno, France, USG for Peacekeeping

Operations;. Mr. Muhammad Shaaban, Egypt, USG for General

Assembly Affairs;. Mr. David Veness, U.K., USG for Safety and Security;. Ms. Inga-Britt Ahlenuius of Sweden, USG of Internal

Oversight Services;

Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, Sri Lanka, SpecialRepresentative for Children and Armed Conflict;

. Mr. Antonio Maria Costa of Italy, Director-General ofthe UN Office at Vienna;

. Mr. Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Russia, Director-General ofthe UN Office in Geneva;

. Mr. José Luis Machinea of Argentina, ExecutiveSecretary of the Economic Commission for LatinAmerica and the Caribbean (ECLAC);

. Mr. Aboulie Janneh of the Gambia, ExecutiveSecretary of the Economic Commission for Africa(ECA);

. Mr. Marek Belka, Poland, Executive Secretary of theEconomic Commission for Europe (ECE);

. Mrs. Thoraya Obaid, Saudi Arabia, Executive Directorof the UN Population Fund; and

. Mr. Ad Melkert of the Netherlands, USG and AssociateAdministrator of UNDP.Mr. Nambiar also said the SG had decided as a matter

of policy that terms of appointment at senior levelsshould not normally exceed five years.

SG outlines plans for restructuringpeacekeeping work

SG’s Senior Management Team.

Nicolas Michel,Under-Secretary-General for LegalAffairs, and theLegal Counsel ofthe United Nations

Jean-MarieGuehenno, Under-Secretary-Generalfor PeacekeepingOperations

Mrs Alicia Barcena,Under-Secretary-General forManagement

Radhika Coomaras-wamy, SpecialRepresentative ofthe Secretary-General forChildren andArmed Conflict

Thoraya Obaid,Executive Directorof the UnitedNations PopulationFund (UNFPA)

Lynn Pascoe, thenew UnderSecretary-Generalfor Political Affairs

The Greek Cypriots call it “nekri zoni”(“the deadzone”). The Turkish Cypriots talk about “arabölge”(“an expanse of territory between ceasefire lines”).To UNFICYP, it is our place of work – the bufferzone.Most do not see it as a conflict zone.Yet, someshortsightedly complain that it is the zone wheretheir singular pursuit of a livelihood clashes withUN peacekeepers’ broader mandated duty of care.True, some do view the area as a comfort zone, areassuring buffer between them and painfulmemories from a receding but not forgotten past.Today, almost four years on, some have taken sofor granted the reality of crossing opportunitiesthat they forget these buffer zone transit-waystraverse what was once a combat zone.They fail to see that the buffer zone originated andremains a blue security blanket thrown downbetween the respective frontline positions ofOpposing Forces, delineating the zone’s sometimesdisputed margins.More and more, people look to the buffer zone’sdevelopmental potential. Understandably, theywant to capitalize on the appreciation of land andproperty values after 33 years!As spelled out in the profile of UNFICYP’s CivilAffairs Branch (pages 4 and 5), three determiningprinciples underscore efforts to promote normalconditions in the buffer zone – security, propertyrights and operational effectiveness. SRSG Møller,addressing the Integrated Medal Parade (page 7),made clear that security considerations cannot beput aside to suit individual convenience. Such isthe price Cypriots must pay until they agree onhow to end the island’s division.

Buffer Zone Perspectives

February 2007 – The Blue Beret

It is UNFICYP’s task to maintain peace and stability inthe buffer zone and to ensure that there is noalteration of the status quo along the two ceasefirelines drawn up on 16 August 1974. The UN-patrolledbuffer zone is 180 km long, and covers around 3% of

the island’s surface area. It varies in width from less thanfour metres in old Nicosia to some seven kilometres nearAthienou.

Far from being a dead zone, which is the literal tran-slation of the Greek “nekri zoni” used to describe the bufferzone or simply the “expanse of territory” between the twoceasefire lines as the Turkish “Arabölge” suggests, it is alivewith activity from farming to light industry, a mainstay formembers of the communities who work and reside in it.

There are six inhabited villages, and around 8,000people who live and work in the buffer zone.

UNFICYP’s Civil Affairs Branch is charged with providinghumanitarian support to these buffer zone residents, as wellas to Greek Cypriots living in the north and Turkish Cypriotsliving in the south. With just 28 members on its team, CivilAffairs deals with issues as diverse as farming, communityand environmental concerns. Civil Affairs, the only missioncomponent truly integrated in structure, draws on military,police and civilian personnel to carry out these tasks.

Chief Civil Affairs Officer (CCAO) Kyoko Shiotani notesthat Civil Affairs evolved as the mission evolved from 1974when there were real humanitarian needs in the bufferzone, but primarily in assisting communities left behind orthose who chose to stay behind in the north and south. “TheUN was supposed to be there to help them return tonormality to the extent possible,” Shiotani says.

Outside the buffer zone, this entails scheduled humani-tarian deliveries and home visits to Greek Cypriots living inthe north. In the south, we make contact with the TurkishCypriots and facilitate their integration into the communityby e.g. making sure their documents are in order if theycan’t speak or read Greek.

Shiotani notes that in recent years, the Turkish Cypriotcommunity living in the south has seen an increase inimmigration issues. “Turkish Cypriots who have marriedmainland Turks who obviously have no diplomatic ties andrepresentation often fall under the illegal immigrantcategory and are deported. We try to intervene in thoseinstances but we are not always successful. There are alsothird nationals, like Sri Lankans and others, married toTurkish Cypriots, who get caught up in this web and are alsodeported. Normally, it wouldn’t come to us as it’s not a UNissue, but by virtue of the fact that they are married to aTurkish Cypriot, we become involved and the governmentaccepts this.”

In the north, humanitarian deliveries and home visitsadjusted and adapted over the years as the communityaged and individual needs changed.

A priority right now is to establish a better deliverysystem for pension transfers from the south to the elderlyGreek Cypriot community in the villages of the Karpas.

In the past, the military component used to havehumanitarian officers dedicated to civilian activities in thebuffer zone. They were responsible, by and large, for thepart in the UNFICYP mandate dealing with a “return tonormal conditions”. In doing so, they dealt primarily withfarmers, either brokering agreements or unilaterally agree-ing to allow farming to in certain areas. The present farmingsituation derives from those agreements, mostly made onan ad hoc, case-by-case basis.

However, the CCAO notes that since 2004, when Cyprusjoined the EU and the Annan plan was rejected, followed bythe first UNFICYP review and the reduction in troops, therehas been a change in mentality and perception as far as thebuffer zone is concerned. The opening of the crossings in2003 was another major contributing factor.

This shift in attitude placed the whole question of thebuffer zone in a new light. No longer was it perceived as

primarily or solely a protective buffer between two armedforces. The normalcy and familiarity induced by frequentcrossings meant that people increasingly began to view itfor its developmental potential.

Shiotani notes that UNFICYP was unprepared for thegreater demand by Cypriots to claim and use their property.“All the operational military tools used up until now tomanage the buffer zone were suddenly being called intoquestion because of the critical issue of property. Everythingwe do, every OP we have and every farming security line wedraw cuts across someone’s property. People were startingto say, ‘Wait a minute. I have rights, I am an EU citizen, weare legitimate, so why am I being punished for somethingthat the international community cannot solve?’ ”

The CCAO concedes that it is natural that people shouldwant to access and use their property after 32 years. Theparadox is that however peaceful the buffer zone may be,it exists for a specific reason which, until it is resolved,precludes a return to the normal conditions envisaged inthe mandate. “We can’t have an unresolved Cyprus prob-lem and normal conditions in the buffer zone,” Shiotanisays.

Three principles determine the role of Civil Affairs in thebuffer zone. “First and foremost is security – the belief thateven civilian activities can elicit a military response. Secondis property rights – making sure the people who want touse the property are the legitimate owners. Third is our ownoperational effectiveness – ensuring that what a civilianwants to do there is not going to obstruct us in ouroperations, or in carrying out our mandate.”

The recurring problem arises from the interpretation ofUNFICYP’s mandate, particularly the part that says “… andas necessary restore to normal conditions”.

As Shiotani allows, nothing could be more normal thanan individual wanting to build an hotel or a school in thebuffer zone. Ever since the buffer zone was drawn up in1974, UNFICYP undertook to restore normal conditions byassisting farmers and shop-owners to get back to their livesas quickly as possible.

Some would argue that that was 1974 and now it’s2007. So what is wrong with interpreting it in the modernway? Building a school is normal. However, as Shiotanipoints out, the UN was explicitly not given administeringpowers in the buffer zone. The administration of villages andpeople living in the buffer zone was left entirely to theCypriot authorities.

“We have no administrative authority. When we talkabout UNFICYP’s authority, we talk about it in a mandatedsense, which is to make sure there is no recurrence offighting, and that there is no heightening of tensionsbetween the two sides. And one of the ways that we do thatis to ensure that civilian activities are verifiably civilian. Soif someone starts to build something that could be a cow-shed, but could also be used to hide a military installation,we are able to say we have seen the plans for this we havemade an assessment and can verify that it is, in fact, acowshed.

“The other reason we look at the details of what some-one wants to build is to verify property deeds. We also makesure it’s not going to cause tension. A school, howeverinnocuous, built too close to the northern cease-fire line,can cause tension. We control access to the buffer zone forthe same reason through a permit system whereby civiliansare given access to farm in the buffer zone. At any giventime, we have 2,000 permits active throughout the bufferzone and this has never really been challenged.

“People who have been born and raised in the bufferzone don’t even question this system. It’s those who haveacquired land recently who want to come in and use it.They have no real sense of the buffer zone or living in it, sothey tend to question these things and the governmentunderstandably has to protect its people’s interests.However, this really shouldn’t be at the expense of the UN

carrying out its mandate. This tends to lead to discussionsabout authority and what authority the UN has.

“The UN has no legal authority, but we do have a legalbasis for our presence here which resides in SC resolutionsand the fact that we are here at the invitation and with theconsent of the government of Cyprus. We also have amandate which spells out what we should be doing. So thisis the legal basis and what we mean when we talk about‘authority’. We don’t have any claim to land – it is thepeople’s land and when the UN says sorry, it is not a goodidea to build that here right now, what we mean is at thepresent time, as long as the Cyprus problem remains un-resolved. Once the Cyprus problem is resolved, then we willpack up and leave. I don’t think that there is anyone herewho doesn’t hope for the day when we can return the bufferzone to really normal conditions – to become an integratedpart of the island, and not a yellow line across the map.”

Shiotani notes a tendency on the part of the authoritiesto see the UN in a negative light. Perhaps this is becausethey only engage with one another when problematic casesbecome contentious, since most are resolved by Civil Affairswithout difficulty following long-established routine proce-dures. “So we seem unnecessarily obstructionist to them,but I point out that there are many other civilians whom wedeal with on a day-to-day basis whose lives and projects wefacilitate – actions that occur in an obscure fashion, butwhich don’t raise interest because they take place withouta fuss.”

Netha Kreouzos

February 2007 – The Blue Beret 54

Civil Affairs –Care andResponsibility

February 2007 – The Blue Beret

Pyla TragedyAn explosion on a cattle farm in the buffer zone village

of Pyla on 26 January at around 17:40hrs resulted inthe death of two people and the serious injury of a

third.UN personnel and Sovereign Bases Area police immedi-

ately contacted UNPOL at Pyla and the Fire and Ambulanceservices at Dhekelia after hearing the explosion at PylaPlato farm, which is situated in the area between Pyla andPergamos. Personnel from UNPOL Pyla, UNPB 126, SBAPolice and Fire Service Dhekelia all immediately went tothe scene to render assistance. The explosion, heard allthe way to Larnaca’s northern suburbs, caused a fire whichsent seven-metre high flames into the air. Dhekelia FireService managed to extinguish the blaze.

A UN patrol from OP 126 was the first to arrive at thescene and Slovak peacekeepers Pte. Ivo Kukuruc and Pte.Rastislav Pajtáš immediately provided medical assistanceto the two men they found at the site of the explosion.Their colleagues LCpl. Peter Čech and Sgt. Miroslav Mišlan,who were close by, assisted in providing first aid to thevictims and securing the scene of the incident until furtherreinforcements arrived.

The injured men, Mr. Murat Elagor, owner of the farm,and Mr. Husain Göçerili, both sustained severe burns. Mr.Elagor was removed from the scene and taken to hospitalby relatives, while Mr. Göçerili was evacuated from thescene by emergency ambulance. Both were taken toLarnaca General Hospital. Due to the severity of hisinjuries, Mr. Göçerili was transferred to the Intensive CareUnit of the Nicosia General Hospital, where he succumbedto his injuries four days later.

Before leaving the scene, Mr. Elagor informed theemergency services that a four-year-old boy had been onthe farm at the time of the explosion and was missing. Asubsequent search of the area located the body of the childnear the rear of a burnt-out vehicle. Four-year-old DogayKizil was pronounced dead by Dr. Maj. Burley, MRSDhekelia.

Mr. Göçerili, who had been delivering fuel to the farm,had brought two of his neighbour’s children along for theride – the deceased boy and a six-year-old girl whoescaped unharmed. The explosion occurred as the menwere pumping the diesel fuel.

UNPOL Deputy SPA Col Speedie speculated that theexplosion could have been a result of inadequate ventingin the fuel tank and that the ensuing pressure build-upcaused the fuel to explode, spilling onto the hot generator.

Chief of Mission Michael Møller and Force CommanderMaj. Gen. Rafael Barni personally met up with the foursoldiers when visiting Sector 4 a little later.

The CM thanked the soldiers for the job they did inPyla. “We are grateful for the immediate assistance youprovided,” he said. Maj. Gen. Barni said he was proud ofhow quickly the soldiers responded. “You reacted in a wayexpected of soldiers in a dangerous situation.”

The FC noted that no amount of training could preparesomeone for the first time they had to deal with such ahorrific scene.

Recounting the incident, the four Slovak soldiers whohad been on duty at OP 126 and OP 129 at the time, saidthey heard the blast and immediately went to the scene.They were there within a matter of minutes and could seefrom a distance that a car was in flames. Assessing thesituation and possible sources of danger, the soldiersspotted two seriously injured men. One was almostcompletely naked, his clothes having being blown off bythe force of the blast. They could see that he had burns to80% of his body. The soldiers immediately reported aboutthe situation on the ground and a second patrol arrived tohelp secure the area. The soldiers provided first aidassistance to the injured men – trying to stabilize theircondition and prevent them from going into shock. Theyalso kept civilians away from the scene.

The soldiers said it was the first time they had seenanything like it, yet they had to put aside their feelings ofhorror and get on with the job. One of the injured men was

crying about a child. Initially, they could not understandwhat he was saying, then, with the assistance of relatives,they began to search for the children. The little girl wasfound unharmed behind a building, but the body of the boywas found under the burnt-out vehicle only after theflames had been extinguished.

Deputy SPA Col Speedie said the cooperation betweenall the components was exemplary. “Often, people nottrained for such situations will take themselves away froma scene of such trauma. However, the soldiers’ trainingkicked in and they did an outstanding job.”

The UNPOL officers who then took over to investigatethe circumstances of the explosion also did a great job withthe assistance of the SBA.

The circumstances surrounding the explosion haveraised a number of issues regarding health and safetyhazards on farms and businesses within the buffer zone.Of special concern is whether safety standards are beingadhered to. It also raises the issue of third party liabilityinsurance to cover such accidents and whether farms andbusinesses operating in the buffer zone have suchcoverage. These issues would be taken up with the localcommunities, Speedie said.

He noted that a proactive approach would be taken byUNPOL to inform buffer zone residents on health andsafety hazards with possible inspections carried out inconjunction with the relevant authorities.

“The people need to cooperate to prevent tragicaccidents like this happening in the future, for their ownand their families’ safety.”

Senior Police Adviser Carla van Maris praised the effortsof all concerned, saying it was an excellent example ofcooperation across the board. “From the first momentwhen the incident occurred, people of different disciplineswere seen working together, cooperating as if they haddone so for a long time, regardless of who they were,where they came from or their background.

“UNFICYP soldiers who arrived at the scene of theincident first and who provided immediate support to thevictims, UNPOL officers, who undertook to safeguard thescene of the incident, the FMPU, who concluded an excel-lent forensic investigation, the interpreter from the PIO,who offered her day off to come to Pyla, and the liaisonofficer, who had to maintain contact with all partiesinvolved. Also, non-UNFICYP staff like the SBA police, theambulance service and the Dhekelia Defence Fire Brigadeworked tirelessly, many throughout the night, to rendersupport.”

6

Mr. Nejdet Ermetal, the Turkish Cypriot Muhtar ofPyla, sent a letter of thanks to UNFICYP on behalf ofthe grieving families of the victims killed in theexplosion. “I sincerely write to thank you and all UNpersonnel, especially Sgt. Kevin O’Hagan and Comd.Col Speedie, for the superb service at Pyla PlatoFarm during the tragic incident on 26 January2007,” he wrote.

Netha Kreouzos

More than 200 United Nations peacekeeping medalswere awarded to members of the Argentinian,British, Hungarian and Slovak contingents when

Chief of Mission SRSG Michael Møller and Force Com-mander Maj. Gen. Rafael Barni presided over UNFICYP’sfifth integrated medal parade on 15 February. The well-attended ceremony took place in the hangar adjacentto the UN Flight helicopter hangar, a welcome and dryindoor location on what proved to be a windy and rain-swept evening.

As usual there was a large turnout from the diplo-matic community in addition to many UNFICYP staffmembers and friends. The Ambassadors of Hungaryand Slovakia joined the British High Commissioner and

the CO Sector 1 in helping theCM and FC award medals tocontingent recipients.

Chief of Mission Møller notedhow the peacekeepers camefrom the northern and south-ern hemispheres to work asone force in the service of the

UN, and in the service of the people of this island, “toprevent a recurrence of fighting and to ensure theintegrity and security of the buffer zone.”

Their task is not that straightforward, just as main-taining the integrity of the buffer zone is not alwayseasy, he added.

“For example, our peacekeepers have to balance theneed for overall security against the competing andsometimes conflicting demands of farmers who see thebuffer zone as simply a place to cultivate and harvest.Or they have to deal with eager landowners anxious to

develop their property and reap the benefits of theisland’s current development boom.

“In such circumstances, people conveniently forgetthe buffer zone’s root cause and origins. They oftenseek to override the UN’s role and primary responsibi-lities in this area, asserting that the right to a livelihoodoutweighs security considerations and all the othercomplicating factors that, much as they might like, can-not be pushed aside to suit individual convenience.

“Yet the irritation and frustration that results fromthese encounters only serves as a reminder of the priceCypriots still pay for the island’s division.”

The SRSG said that those being honoured with theaward of the UN Peacekeeping Medal in the name ofSecretary-General Ban Ki-moon had demonstratedcompassion and the highest standards of fairness,impartiality, tolerance, patience, cooperation, tact anddiplomacy in the course of their tour of duty. Hethanked them for a job well done. “Your performancehere in Cyprus is a credit to you, your country, and tothe military units you belong to.”

In his remarks, Maj. Gen. Barni commended theMilitary, UNPOL and Civil Affairs for their intensifiedefforts and hard work in furthering the three-pillarconcept of joint coordination across the mission. “Ibelieve that recent challenges we have faced in thebuffer zone have demonstrated that we are developinggenuine synergy.” It was important, he said, to “deve-lop our ability to work together, as a team, on jointsolutions” since it was clear that when a determined,professional few combine and synchronise resources, it“is possible to accomplish the mission with ever greatereffectiveness”.

BZ Security OutweighsIndividual Convenience – SRSG

IntegratedMedal Parade

February 2007 – The Blue BeretFebruary 2007 – The Blue Beret

As every member of UNFICYP is aware, the success ofour mission here depends upon cooperation betweenthe three main pillars - the military component,

UNPOL and Civil Affairs. This system was introducedseveral months ago, but it is only recently that the resultsare beginning to show through in Sector 1.

The integration process included the organisation ofweekly briefings, attended by members of the three pillars.These take place every Monday at San Martín Camp, andare a very useful tool in the exchange of information andanalysis of common problems. CO Sector 1, Lt. Col. JustoTreviranus, chairs these meetings and is mainly respon-sible for the integration process.

One of the improvements made by Sector 1 is theaddition of one SCAT and one UNPOL member on dailypatrols monitoring the most sensitive and problematicareas. These joint patrols have resulted in many dailyincidents being solved more quickly and efficiently, parti-cularly those involving civilians inside the buffer zone.

Sector 1’s military component, SCAT 1 and UNPOL 1have taken part in joint field training exercises and “sandtable” rehearsals, a scenario which envisages possible

violent and hostile demonstrations by large numbers ofcivilians. This training was developed as a result of thesituation which arose last November in Avlona near OPT38.

This integrated three-pillar cooperation hasalso proved very effective during the huntingseason. Sector 1’s military, along with SCAT 1and UNPOL 1, deployed twice a week onWednesdays and Sundays (hunting days). Theexpertise and knowledge of the handlingprocedures during difficult situations involvingcivilians in the buffer zone was invaluable toSector 1’s military component.

Mission tasks have been significantly easedthrough the integration process. Sector 1 per-sonnel have also had the opportunity to formgreat personal relationships among peace-keepers from many different nations spreadaround the world, including soldiers, policemenand policewomen from Australia, Bosnia,Croatia, India, Ireland, El Salvador, the Nether-lands and more.

Apart from completing a successful mission,surely the most valuable and important ex-perience that we gained from our time withUNFICYP was meeting with comrades from allover the globe, teaching each other aboutourselves and learning our strengths andcapabilities.

Capt. Mauricio Silvestre

8 9

3 Pillars into Sector 1

Three-pillar Monday meeting in San Martín Camp

Checking permits

Ledra Palace Hotel was the site of an historicmeeting between the two religious representativeson the island on 21 February 2007. Archbishop of

Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus, Chrysostomos II, andMr. Ahmet Yonluer, Turkish Cypriot Director of ReligiousAffairs, met under the auspices of the President of theCouncil of Europe Parliamentary Assembly René vander Linden as part of a series of bicommunal meetingsthe PACE President participated in during his visit to theisland.

A PACE statement issued following the Ledra Palacemeeting noted that the two religious representativeswere delighted to meet for the first time, and warmlywelcomed Mr. van der Linden’s initiative in bringingthem together. There was goodwill on both sides, andthe exchange of views had beenpositive and sincere.

According to the statement, thetwo leaders discussed ways thatthey could contribute to the crea-tion of an atmosphere of trust andtolerance, to set an example to thepeople and politicians of Cyprus.They agreed to meet again soon aswell as take practical steps topromote respect for places ofworship in all parts of the island,including efforts to ensure their

restoration. As a first step, theyplanned to work towards the goal ofenabling worship at the Hala SultanTekke Mosque in Larnaca and theApostolos Andreas Monastery in theKarpas Peninsula. The religiousleaders hoped this would mark thebeginning of a long relationship ofmutual trust, which would contri-bute to a peaceful solution to theCyprus problem. Speaking at the

end of the meeting, PACE President van der Lindenemphasised that inter-cultural and inter-religiousdialogue was a priority of his Presidency, and stressedthat this historic first meeting had been an excellentexample.

Earlier, the Secretary General’s Special Representa-tive in Cyprus, UNFICYP Chief of Mission Michael Møller,received Mr. van der Linden in his office in the UNPA.The PACE delegation was greeted on arrival by theForce Commander Maj. Gen. Rafael Barni and the Chiefof Staff Col. Peter Fraser-Hopewell.

Afterwards, Mr. van der Linden was escorted on atour of the Nicosia buffer zone area by UNFICYP peace-keepers.

Island’s two religious leaders’historic meeting in Ledra Palace

On 2 February, Force Commander Maj.Gen. Rafael José Barni conducted a formalvisit to the Force Military Police Unit.

This was FC’s first visit this small but diverseUNFICYP sub unit. Comprising personnel fromeach of the Sectors, FMPU is not subject to thecriminal law procedures of the Republic ofCyprus. It does, however, follow UN regu-lations for all nationalities, as well as specificlegislation in relation to the contributingnations.

The FC was given an initial brief by theForce Provost Marshal, Maj. Iain Watt, RoyalMilitary Police on the operational capability ofthe unit. Afterwards, the FC carried out a tourof the unit including police display stands onthe vehicles and equipment used.

Force Commander visits FMPUPartyLeaders’MeetingOn 2 February, Chief of Mission

SRSG Michael Møller addres-sed the bicommunal meeting

of political party leaders held atLedra Palace each month under theauspices of the Slovak Ambassador,H.E. Mr. Ján Varšo.

February 2007 – The Blue BeretFebruary 2007 – The Blue Beret

The HIVE Information Service is publicly funded bythe Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide an infor-

mation network to all members of the British Servicecommunity and their dependants. This also includescivilians employed by the Services and their families.All our staff are professionally trained to fulfill their roleas HIVE Information Officers with management supportfrom their employing units and the HIVE RegionalManager. In Cyprus, in addition to the UNPA, Nicosia,there are HIVEs in Akrotiri, Ayios Nikolaos, Dhekeliaand Episkopi.

The Nicosia HIVE is located in the community centreand here our information is also open to members ofthe international community. Most of the enquiries atNicosia are about travel, places of interest and things todo in the area. We also hold information on relocation,the local unit and civilian facilities, schools and furthereducation, housing, healthcare, employment and train-ing opportunities.

We aim to provide correct and up-to-date informa-tion but we are only as good as the information wehave. So this is where you can help! We would like toinvite all units, clubs and organisations (for children oradults) to provide the HIVE with their up-to-dateliterature. This should include contact details, openingtimes and costs. In addition to this, if you have found

somewhere that you think other people may findinteresting – a tourist attraction, restaurant or hotel/apartment/villa, please pick up a leaflet or businesscard and drop it in to us. We can then include it with ourother information, extending what we have on offer forour customers.

You ask, we answer!

In September 2005, as one of its parting gestures,the Finnish Contingent handed over its much-beloved sauna to the Dolphin Swimming Pool

Committee.Based on the British Retained Site near Maple Leaf

Camp, it is a facility primarily for the benefit of themilitary members of UNFICYP. However, all police andcivilian staff as well as other UN organisations andembassy staff are welcome to use the facility. Thisoffer extends to their families and friends.

The self-funding sauna is maintained through hirefees and managed by a committee under the chairman-ship of the CPLO, Lt. Col. Paul Warwick. Since it issituated on the BRS, it must comply with current UKhealth and safety legislation, under the watchful eye ofthe Property Manager, Maj. Fred Reid.

The wood-burning sauna is ready for use approxi-mately 40 minutes after lighting. There is a recrea-tional area and a well-stocked kitchen inside thecomplex, complete with DVD and TV facilities. Theoutside area offers wooden tables, chairs, cooker andBBQ.

The sauna is for the benefit of all. It is an excellentfacility. For enquiries, please contact Maj. Fred Reid at2261-4418.

After four weeks into my OpTOSCA tour, I was sat at thedesk in Sector 2’s MT office,

booking vehicles out, when in walkedSgt. Ellaby (Civil Affairs sergeant)looking for a vehicle. He had beentasked to find a goat.

A few week passed and Sgt. Ellabyreturned to the MT. “Ah, Goat Major”he says to me! I later discovered thatI had been chosen from a cast ofthousands to be the Regimental GoatMajor – handler of our first Regimen-tal mascot. This honour had beenbestowed on me because I wasdeemed “animal-friendly”. I also hadflexible working hours that wouldaccommodate the demands of thisnew responsibility.

It was only a year ago that 39thRegiment Royal Artillery adopted themantle of “The Welsh Gunners”, soleek-eating and goat-parading was tobe the future. Recruiting drives werebeginning in earnest by our rear partyin the Welsh valleys. From thatmoment on, all Regimental paradesfor visitors to Ledra Palace Hotelwould involve our four-legged friend,buffed and polished to a standardrare among the common flocks.

An elite team of the Regiment’sfinest was formed to collect the goat.The team consisted of Sgt. Ellaby andhis look-alike, Sgt. Gough (aka theMitchell brothers). Also on the teamwas Sgt. Oliphant (was a bombadierat the time, well done sarge), and notto forget myself.

On the morning of the firstparade, we all gathered on the carpark at early o’ clock and headed outto the goat farm. How Sgt. Ellabyfound the place I will never know. Hemust have a thing for finding goats.When we arrived at the farm, thefarmer’s son led the way to the goat.After splitting my head open on ametal girder, I realised that thefarmer’s son had told me to watch myhead. Unfortunately, I don’t under-stand Greek!

The farmer (Costas) let us use hisgoat for free; all he wanted was apicture of the goat all cleaned up. Sgt.Ellaby also had a coat made with theWelsh dragon on one side and the RAcrest on the other, designed andmeasured up by Sgt. Oliphant andSgt. Gough. Mr. Osman (our much-loved local tailor) made this for free.

The goat had to be named. Wecouldn’t have a Regimental mascotwithout a name. The RSM, beingWelsh, thought of some Welsh namesand put them on the white board forevery one to vote. By an overwhelm-ing majority, the decision was madeto call the goat “Gunner Gwyn”.

During the tour, I have been on anumber of parades with Gwyn forvisitors and inspecting officers suchas the Force Commander and Mem-bers of Parliament. Notably, this dutyhas earned me a meal and some freewine in the Sgts’ Mess – as you canimagine, I made the most of the freewine.

During the parades, Gwyn hasbehaved himself, apart from trying toeat MPs’ suits and my uniform, thenthe odd pee down my leg in front ofthe Force Commander, (don’t think henoticed though!). We have been quitelucky with Gwyn with him being justan ordinary goat from a farm. Usually,a Regimental mascot is from a specialherd, owned by the Queen and rearedfrom birth.

Gunner Gwyn won’t be comingback to the UK with us, but will stillbe remembered as the first Regimen-tal Mascot of 39th Regiment “TheWelsh Gunners” Royal Artillery.

Goat Major, LBdr. Allen

The Buzz at theNicosia HIVE

Goat Handlerto a Mascot

UNPA Sauna

Note to readers: The Dolphin Swimming Pool opens on16 March at 1100 a.m. More news on this in the nextBlue Beret – watch this space!

LynnettaCook-Hannah

For the first time in the history of United Nationspeacekeeping, an all-female Formed Police Unit(FPU) has been deployed. The Unit has arrived in

Liberia to help strengthen the rule of law and maintainpeace in the West African country.

The new officers serving with the UN Mission inLiberia (UNMIL) are “very confident, they are trained,and I think they will perform well out here,” said theircommander, Seema Dhundiya.

She emphasized that the Indian Unit, which consistsof 103 women performing operational tasks and 22 mendoing logistics work, is well-prepared to meet the chal-lenges ahead. “Our contingent has been carved out froma paramilitary force and as far as training is concerned,it is almost on the same line of what army recruits get.”

Ms. Dhundiya pledged that the officers, who arearmed with sophisticated weapons, will carry out theirwork with utmost professionalism. “We are definitelygoing to perform to the best of our abilities and raisethe expectations of our senior authorities and our owncountry.”

UN spokesman Ben Dotsei Malor emphasized thatthe Indian blue berets would help the Liberian NationalPolice (LNP) while supporting the work of the UN in thecountry.

“We hope that the presence of this all-femalecontingent will serve as an incentive and an attractionto encourage young Liberian women to join the LiberianNational Police,” said UNMIL Police CommissionerMohammed Alhassan.

Ms. Dhundiya was optimistic that her officers couldfunction as role models. “I think the Liberian people aregoing to welcome us with open arms and more of thelocal population will get inspired seeing these girls pro-perly dressed, well equipped and probably they will getmotivated to join the UN police officers, especially thegirls.”

The new Unit joins 82 female UN police officersserving with UNMIL in various capacities.

New All-Female Police Unit in Liberia

Indian Peacekeepers (mostly women) arriving in Liberia

10 11

HIVE Regional Manager (Cyprus)

Your HIVE Information Officer at Nicosia isLynnetta Cook-Hannah. Opening hours are Mondayto Thursday, 8.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. Lynetta canalso be contacted by telephone 22-359316 or by e-mail: unitednations@hivegb.co.uk.

February 2007 – The Blue BeretFebruary 2007 – The Blue Beret

From training ... to the Sporting Scene

With extensive advertising across Cyprus, not onlyover the airwaves courtesy of BFBS Radio, but bymany e-mails, posters and simply by word of

mouth, the UNFICYP Charity Boxing Dinner Night, whichtook place on 3 February, was a complete sell-out.

The night started off in real style with the drummersand pipes of the Royal Regiment of Walesproviding a thrilling performance in the ring.With eight bouts interspersed with a four-course dinner, for those seated, and justenough room for standing at the back, theevening turned out to be truly memorable.

With valiant displays of physical deter-mination and sportsmanship in the ring, the night con-cluded with an auction of rare sporting memorabilia. Theamount collected was just short of £5,000 to be sharedbetween three charities, “Elpida”, a Republic of CyprusChildren’s Cancer Charity, the North Cyprus DyslexiaCharity and the Army Benevolent Fund.

For almost a year now, Evrikos (Rick) Demetriou, hasbeen the driving force behind the football club at HQUNFICYP. Rick organises the football training sessions

at the UNPA pitch on a weekly basis, where civilian staffmembers, alongside the military, UN Flight and police per-sonnel, regardless of their playing abilities, gather togetherto practise. So successful has this effort been, that Rick

has organised many matches, including avery successful tournament on UN staff day,26 October.

In mid-January, Rick was surprised to receive a callfrom Ibrahim Diran, a Turkish Cypriot journalist workingwith TAK News Agency in the north, challenging UNFICYPto a match against Turkish Cypriot premier league teamYenibogazici F.C. A football enthusiast himself, Ibrahimhad heard of the UNFICYP football activities, so he madethe move and a date was fixed.

On 27 January, footballers from both teams warmed upat the UNPA pitch before starting the game at 1.00 p.m.From the beginning and throughout the entire match, allteam members put on an exhilarating performance,enjoyed immensely by players and spectators alike. The

final score was 4-4, but this was not a game about winning– it was about good sportsmanship. Refreshments wereserved afterwards.

Yenibogazici F.C. have invited HQ UNFICYP’s team to areturn match in their village of Agios Sergios. We lookforward to it!

Football

The phrase “Sport joins men, and so it unites soldiers”,was put to the test on 10 February during a runorganised by Sector 1.

The 26-km route stretched along the buffer zone track,starting at PB 32 and finishing at San Martín Camp. Justover 80 runners from Sectors 1, 2 and 4, the MFR, UNFlight and HQ UNFICYP arrived for the event, which startedat approximately 9.30 a.m. Each team was made up ofsix runners who ran two-by-two, carrying a pole, each paircovering a distance of approximately 8 km. Fourteen

teams participated altogether, arriving at St.Martín Camp after two tough and chal-lenging hours.

At the prize presentation, Sector 2 (A Team) wasawarded the gold medal with a time of 1 hour, 53 min-utes. Sector 1 (B Team) gained second place and MFR (ATeam) came in third. The event was planned, organisedand supported by Argentinian Contingent members, whoprovided medical assistance, water stations and aircoverage along the route.

Sector 1 was delighted to host the event. High spiritsand good sportsmanship of all runners contributed to avery successful run.

Charity inthe BoxingRing

Exercise Blue Drive – Driver Safety Training

UNFICYP footballers giveYenibogazici F.C. a run for their money

Five teams competed in an UNFICYP squash tourna-ment held on 30 January. UNFICYP HQ were theoverall winners with a line up of (left to right) Lt. Col.

Paul Warwick, Mick Raine, Maj. Tom Moon, Col.Peter Fraser-Hopewell and Maj. Stan Stanton.

A special award was made to LCpl. ĽubomírHazuga from the MFR as most improved player (inset).

Running

Squash

WO II Inigo took over the pole for Sector 1 at OPT 23.This team gained second place in the competition.

12 13

UNFICYP is committed tothe improvement of dri-

ving standards and a reduc-tion in the total number oftraffic accidents (RTAs) in themission. Statistics show thatRTAs remain the greatestcause of accidental death andinjury in the mission. It is,therefore, paramount that aproactive approach be takento reduce the RTAs.

This year’s Exercise BlueDrive, held between 26 and 28February, was part of thisinitiative. Organised in theUNPA, six stands were set upto challenge the teams ontheir driving skills and roadsafety knowledge.

All participants embraced the competition with avery enthusiastic and determined approach. Manyteams were seen on the weekend prior to the exercisepractising driving and reversing skills in the UNPA. Thefirst day of the event was opened at the HQ BRITCONWarrant Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess. This is wherethe Exercise Control (EX-CON) was established for theduration. At the EX-CON, teams were subjected to acolourful road safety poster campaign and videopresentations on driver skills. This generated a lot ofinterest among all contingents who seemed to absorbthe information, discussing between themselves theirown driving standards.

During the competition, it was evident that teamswere serious about winning as they progressed throughthe stands. By the end of each day, the results andscores reflected on those teams who had practised. It

was refreshing to see a that there was an underlying,yet healthy, competition between Sectors 1 and 4, bothof whom believed they would be the eventual victor.Only on the final day would the true winner berevealed.

Results of Exercise February 2007 are listed below:1st - Sector 1 (C)2nd - UNPOL (B)3rd - Sector 4 (C)

The Master Driver would like to thank all thedirecting staff for the support and running of thecompetition which contributed to the success of theevent. Finally, congratulations to Sector 1 (C) for theirexcellent performance. They have clearly laid thegauntlet for the next Exercise Blue Drive.

WO2 GoldsmithMaster Driver

On 9 February, LBdr. Stuart Spencer of the Mobile Force Reserveorganised an MFR strongman competition at the UNPA. The day

turned out well with 15 peacekeepers ready to compete. There were sixevents in all, including the farmer’s walk; vehicle push; tyre flip; loadingand squats.

All were demanding, but seemed to pose no problem for LCpl. ĽudovitVereš from the Slovakian Contingent, who won the day with a re-spectable score of 89 points, followed in second place by 2/Lt. TomJamieson with 79 points AND MCpl. Molnár Antal in third place with 77 points. All competitors gave a 100% per-formance, and competitors and spectators alike enjoyed the competition thoroughly. Next up, many are already intraining for the UNFICYP Strongman Competition, scheduled for 9 March.

MFR Strongman Competition

UNPOL Newcomers

February 2007 – The Blue Beret

Visitors to UNFICYP

Until the end of December2006, the only male on the

UNPA CESSAC staff was MaroniHanna, a Cypriot Maronite whohails from Kormakiti in the northwest of the island.

After 45 years of service withthe NAAFI, Maroni retired fromtheir service in 1996 and startedimmediately with CESSAC. Now,even though many customers willmiss his smiling face, time hascome for Maroni to sit back andtake life a little easier.

Maroni is succeeded by Gina, whom we all welcome tothe UNPA.

Political AffairsOfficer Tim Al-

chin and MiriamRyan are overjoyedto announce thearrival of their sonCaleb Alexanderwho joined us aweek ahead ofschedule on theafternoon of 19December, weigh-ing in at a healthy3.3 kg and 50 cmat full stretch.

Anthony Charlton has recently takenup the position of Chief Commu-

nications Officer in the CITS section,dealing with mainly communications-related matters within UNFICYP. Hetakes over from Gianni Longo who leftthe mission last month.

Anthony arrived from UNMOGIP(Pakistan). Prior to his last posting, hehas worked in UNDOF (Syria), UNLB(Italy), UNPROFOR (former Yugoslavia)and also a term with the WFP in Rome.

He is a New Zealand national andrecently married Snjezana, a Croatiannational. They have four young children.

February 2007 – The Blue Beret

Fond Farewells

Welcome

On 25 January, UNFICYP bade farewell toMr. Gianfranco Longo, Chief Inte-gratedSupport Services, who retired on 31

January after 31 years of United Nationsservice.

Gianni arrived in Nicosia from Sarajevo in2001 as UNFICYP Chief Information and Tech-nology Section. Quickly he managed to turnaround the whole communications network,converting the CITS into a most efficient andproductive integrated section within UNFICYP.

Appointed Chief Integrated SupportServices in June 2004, Gianni successfully managed toengage military and civilian personnel in ISS’ planningand decision making, through team spirit, cooperation

and dedication. No task was too challengingfor Gianni to achieve, from creating high qua-lity presentations, to producing outstandingdiagrams, to writing ACABQ justifications, orleading complex logistics projects.

Every time Gianni served as Officer-in-Charge, Administration, for one reason oranother, unforeseen incidents occurred, mostrecently the Lebanon Evacuation. Gianni’scalm demeanor and wise approach wereinstrumental in the successful completion ofsuch a complex operation.

Gianni will certainly be missed by his friends andcolleagues in UNFICYP, who wish him a long, happy andfulfilling retirement.

Information Assistant LoukiaVassiliou bids UNFICYP

farewell in order to take upa position in the publica-tions department of theUniversity of Cyprus.

Having served as a tran-slator/interpreter for overthree years for the PublicInformation Office and CivilAffairs, Loukia has been a

key and valued member of the mission’s media monitoringteam, notably during the period of the Good Offices talksand at the time of the referendum.

Although she will be missed, her colleagues andfriends wish her well in her new endeavours.

Brother officers from UNDOF – Capt. Tsutomu Nemoto, DeputyMilitary Public Information Officer (second left) and Maj.Naoyuki Taura, SSO LOG, both from the Japanese Contingent,on a familiarization visit to Sector 2 on 21 February

Bishop Pedro Candia, Chaplain General of the ArgentinianArmed Forces, visited UNFICYP from 21 to 24 February on aroutine visit to Argentinian peacekeepers in Sector 1. He metwith Force Commander Maj. Gen. Rafael Barni in this HQ on21 February.

Members of the European Commission and the EU ProgrammeSupport Office based in Nicosia being welcomed by ForceCommander Maj. Gen. Rafael Barni – 12 February

Visiting Swedish Parliamentarians from the DefenceCommittee being welcomed by SRSG Møller – 7 February

Maria Sharapova, the top-ranked woman tennisplayer in the world, has been officially appointedas a Goodwill Ambassador for UNDP. The

appointment was announced on 14 February during aPress Conference held in the headquarters of UNDP inNew York.

Maria Sharapova’s main mission is to rally globalsupport for the fight against poverty. She has alreadydonated $100,000 for UNDP’s community-based pro-jects in Chernobyl-affected areas, including projects inGomel, Belarus, where her family comes from.

Greek musician and singer George Dalaras wrappedup his first overseas visit as a UNHCR GoodwillAmbassador in mid-February with a pledge to

raise awareness about the work of the refugee agencyand the people it helps in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

“Words can’t express the pain I feel when I seeuprooted people,” Dalaras told UNHCR staff and otheraid workers in Liberia’s Lofa county. He said he wouldcontinue looking for ways to help refugees and others ofconcern to UNHCR, including lobbying governments forhelp and staging benefit concerts.

During his visit to Sierra Leone, Dalaras met withPresident Ahmad Tejan Kabah and spoke to Liberianrefugees in two camps. Sierra Leone hosts an estimated27,365 refugees, including 21,696 Liberian refugeesliving in eight camps across the country.

Sharapova – UNDPGoodwill Ambassador

Dalaras – UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador

Mr. Ad Melkert UNDP Associate Administrator presenting MariaSharapova with her letter of appointment

14 15

On 21 February, 26 police officersfrom Australia, Bosnia, Croatia,

Ireland, Italy and the Netherlandsarrived at HQ UNFICYP for aninduction course, facilitated byUNPOL's Training Officers, GardaMichael Hickey and Federal AgentDavid Batch.

The new UNPOL officers werebriefed by key mission personnelincluding the CM, FC, SA, CAO, SPAand SpksPsn. All aspects of missionlife, governance and operations are

covered in the course including UNFlight and helicopter safety training,Gender and SEA policy awarenessand police powers and functions inthe buffer zone. Also included inthe course were presentations fromrepresentatives of the island’spolice authorities.

The week-long induction courseis designed to provide UNPOL new-comers for subsequent deploymentto BZ patrol, SCAT teams and otherspecialist UNPOL functions.

Slovak SoldiersCommended