Desmond Tutu saw the danger of partition in Cyprus during his visits to the island

South Africa’s Desmond Tutu, who died on Sunday aged 90, visited Cyprus on a number of occasions more than a decade ago when he chaired a group of global peacemakers known as The Elders.

The group that visited Cyprus also included former UN Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland and former US President Jimmy Carter.

The Elders marks its 15th anniversary in 2022. Brought together initially by Nelson Mandela, the group also included former UN Secretary-General, the late Kofi Annan and former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, among others.

Their aim is to help create “a world where people live in peace, conscious of their common humanity and their shared responsibilities for each other, for the planet and for future generations”.

“Over the years, the Elders have continued to work as independent moral voices for peace and ethical leadership, tackling some of the greatest global challenges we face today,” their website says.

It was within this context that The Elders visited Cyprus in 2008 and 2009 when talks were underway between then president, the late Dimitris Christofias and then Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat who

The Elders lauded for their their expressed commitment to end to the decades-old Cyprus dispute.
But without progress between their visits to the island, in 2009 Tutu said: “Of course we were hoping that the people of Cyprus would be celebrating reunification by now. I always have to remind myself that these things take a long time. But I remain hopeful.”

Tutu told the media that when he visited the previous October, Carter and Brahimi, the widespread desire for a peaceful settlement to the island’s decades of division “left a deep impression on us”.

It was also clear that there were major differences and obstacles which stood in the way of progress, he said, adding that there was understandable anxiety about what a settlement might mean.

Years of separation and political dogma from leaders on both sides had left a legacy of distrust among the people. And one of the biggest road-blocks to peace might actually be complacency, he said, “a feeling of resignation that progress will again run into the sand and that little would change even if an agreement was reached”.

“We fear that this cynicism and complacency could see a tremendous opportunity lost – and masks the very real risks if reunification efforts fail,” he added.

“Our hope is that in our own way, we can help create a climate in which attention is re-focused on what matters. As outsiders, we hope we can emphasise what can be gained but also what could be lost.”
Tutu also said the Cyprus problem remained an open wound which has been and continues to be exploited for political ends.

“Nor is it correct to believe, as many Cypriots in both communities do, that the relatively benign status quo will remain if this chance for peace is lost. There is a danger that positions will harden and division could slide into permanent partition,” he said.

What was needed was a new energy and boldness to capitalise on the opportunity before it slips away, the Archbishop said.

“Future generations will thank those who put in the extra effort when it was needed. It is needed now.”