The United Nations filed a formal police report on Friday after two peacekeepers were injured and three UN vehicles were damaged during a confrontation with Greek Cypriot farmers in the buffer zone.

“Threats to the safety of UN peacekeepers and damage to UN property are unacceptable and may constitute a serious crime under international law,” a statement by the UN’s peacekeeping force (Unficyp) said.

The fracas began in the morning when a group of farmers in Dherynia’s buffer zone forced their way through a UN blockade to cultivate land near the Frenaros–Vrysoulles area. Unficyp clarified that no permits had been granted for such activities. However, one farmer, Paschalis Paschali, claimed he had received approval from the UN on Wednesday.

Foreign ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis said information had surfaced in the past few days that the north’s ‘authorities’ may try to arrest the specific Greek Cypriot farmer, if he approached fields near a guard post manned by the north’s ‘army.’

To address this, Gotsis said, “Authorities intensified their talks with Unficyp to find a solution that safeguards the farmer’s rights and safety.” He added that reports of violence were under investigation.

Unficyp stressed that “farming near the ceasefire lines inside the UN buffer zone is strictly prohibited and risks provoking tensions. No farmer is ever granted permission to work near the ceasefire lines, such actions jeopardise the safety and security of both civilians and UN peacekeepers.”

The peacekeeping force added that a farmer damaged a UN vehicle preventing him from crossing the northern ceasefire line inside the UN buffer zone near Dherynia.

“Regrettably, a UN peacekeeper sustained minor injuries during the incident.” Later in the day Unficyp confirmed a second peacekeeper had been attacked too.

Famagusta police spokesman Andreas Constantinou confirmed that Unficyp members filed a formal report at the Dherynia police station shortly after 2pm.

According to the report, two peacekeepers were attacked by a Greek Cypriot farmer and his employees.

Officers had been notified of the incident at around 9:30am.

Paschali disputed these claims, alleging that UN peacekeepers chased his tractor, banged on it, and blocked vehicles from moving forward. He asserted that during a meeting with Unficyp on Wednesday, he had received approval to cultivate and fertilise the fields.

Subsequently, on Friday at 8am “we went to our fields and cultivated them, with peacekeepers looking after us.”

Paschalis said when the farmers were about to put seed and fertiliser, “Unficyp men did not allow us to enter the buffer zone. They were running and banging on the tractor and trying to block our cars, front and back, to prevent us from moving forward.”

He added that the farmers forced themselves through “and managed to sow a few fields.”

With only one field left close to the north, Unficyp “stopped us and put cars around our tractors and trucks and did not let us sow the last field.

Paschalis estimated this was some 300m away from a guard post manned by the north’s ‘army’.

“While we had permission to sow our fields today, which we got at the meeting on Wednesday, they did not let us do our work. They told us to come today to sow and when we arrived, we were met with all this violence from the peacekeepers.”

He added the peacekeepers allegedly hit two tractors but “the important thing is that no one was injured.”

Farmers have been cultivating their fields for 15 years and “we will stay in the area until we sow the last remaining field,” Paschalis stressed.

Unficyp reiterated its call for farmers to adhere to UN regulations regarding buffer zone activities. “Our top priority remains to prevent tensions and maintain the status quo across the UN buffer zone,” the statement concluded.