NICOSIA, August 30 (AFP) - UN experts began Monday assessing the role of the international peacekeeping force in Cyprus to determine whether the 40-old mission on the divided island could be dismantled.
UN chief Kofi Annan called for the review after his peace plan to reunite the island collapsed when it was overwhelmingly rejected by Greek Cypriots in April, although it was backed by the rival Turkish Cypriot community.
"A team has arrived in Cyprus from United Nations Headquarters New York to conduct a review of UNFICYP's mandate, force levels and concept of operations, as called for by the Secretary-General in his report of May 26, 2004," said a UN statement.
The United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is the world's longest serving peacekeeping force and was sent to the island to restore and maintain order during fierce inter-communal violence in 1964.
It has stayed ever since and now patrols the 180-kilometre (100-mile) ceasefire line drawn up in 1974 after Turkey invaded the north of the island in response to a Greek-Cypriot coup aimed at uniting the island with Greece.
But Annan said in his May report that in view of the "disappointing" watershed April vote -- which saw a divided Cyprus join the EU in May -- an overall reappraisal of peacekeeping activities on the island was needed.
Annan is expected to submit any recommendations by September, although the internationally-recongised Greek Cypriot government is opposed to any reduction in the 1,200-strong UN force or a change in its mandate.
The four-member UN team is due to meet Greek and Turkish Cypriot representatives in the course of the fact-finding week.
The Greek Cypriot government believes the visit could be a prelude to the UN force being reduced or even withdrawn as "punishment" for the "no" vote which was roundly criticised by Annan and the international community.
Britain, Argentina and Slovakia are UNFICYP's main troop contributors but the Greek Cypriot government foots a third of the 47.4 million annual bill. The force's six month mandate expires mid-December.