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Families To Visit Argentine Soldiers' Graves In Falklands

Argentine war graves on the Falkland Islands

An aircraft carrying the next of kin of fallen Argentine soldiers is scheduled to arrive on the Falkland Islands at Mount Pleasant Airport today.

The identities of 88 Argentine soldiers were recently confirmed through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) humanitarian forensic identification project, which released its results in December 2017.

The visit, being managed by the Falkland Islands Government, will allow families of the deceased to pay their respects and see their relative’s grave, complete with a headstone acknowledging their name.

There will be two short ceremonies supported by the Ministry of Defence.

The families will return to Argentina later in the day.

ICRC's forensic project. [Picture: ICRC]

The work to identify Argentine soldiers buried in Darwin cemetery came to an end on 7 August last year.

At the time, the ICRC's forensic project coordinator, Morris Tidball-Binz said: "I am pleased to say that we have successfully completed the crucial stage of exhuming, analysing, documenting and reburying each of the soldiers in a grave bearing the inscription Soldado argentino solo conocido por Dios (Argentine soldier known only unto God).”

He said: "We have striven to work to the highest scientific and technical standards, despite the logistical challenges involved.

"We have treated the remains with the greatest respect and we hope, through our efforts, to give the dead back their identities…"

“And thereby bring answers to their families, who have spent more than three decades waiting for their loved ones' remains to be identified."

“The team's wealth of experience in this kind of operation and the strength of their humanitarian commitment was what made it possible."

In December 2016, the governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom agreed to attempt to identify the remains of the soldiers killed in the 1982 conflict, in accordance with their obligation under international humanitarian law to identify those killed on the battlefield.