Ban urges Cyprus communities to end division

New York - Warning that the international community would not accept a prolonged United Nations presence on Cyprus, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday it is time for the island's two ethnic communities to translate procedures into action and end the division.

Ban said in a report to the UN Security Council that it should renew for another six months the mandate of the peacekeeping force that has been on Cyprus for the past 43 years and its continued presence should not be taken for granted.

The island is divided between Turkish Cypriots in the north and Greek Cypriots in the south. A so-called green line runs through the capital Nicosia, marking a ceasefire line monitored by a UN force of about 900 military and police personnel.

Ban said the UN presence on Cyprus continues to be important in the absence of a comprehensive settlement.

'The time has come, however, to move from talks about procedure to substance,' Ban said, adding that talks in the past 16 months on settling issues from sovereignty to property should now be implemented.

'It is high time that the considerable convergence of positions be translated into action,' he said. 'In this regard, and in order to build trust between the sides, I urge both leaders to honour their written commitment and bring to an end the on-going mutual recrimination, which only serve to undermine the process.'

He said the political process can move forward in a flourishing society like that of Cyprus.

But in the last two years, gates have opened on the green line to allow tens of thousands to cross into the other side for visits. The political process has stalled since 2004 when a UN referendum for reunifying the two sides under a federal government was rejected by the Greek Cypriots and accepted by Turkish Cypriots.

The Greek Cypriot community, with a much larger population, joined the European Union in 2005, while the northern part's political future is in limbo.

Ban said the responsibility to find a solution to the ethnic division is with the Cypriots, while the UN would support the political process and facilitate reconciliation.

'It is essential that the parties demonstrate their readiness to match words with deeds, through sincere efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement,' he said.

Several issues needed to be taken care of in the meantime, including mine removal. Ban urged the Turkish Cypriots to re-engage with the UN peacekeepers to complete the mine clearing work in the buffer zone.

The search for missing persons has maintained a momentum and advanced in resolving one of the most painful aspects of the Cyprus problem, Ban said.