MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Campaign launched to collect funds to build Argentine Memorial at Darwin.

Following the approval last week by the Falkland Islands Planning Committee of an application submitted by the association grouping next-of-kin of Argentine servicemen killed during the 1982 South Atlantic war seeking to build a memorial to the Argentine war dead at the Argentine Cemetery at Darwin, a fund raising campaign was launched yesterday to collect funds for this purpose.

At a press conference the Next-of-Kin Committee leaders Hector Cisneros, Leandro de la Colina and Delmira Harenclever de Cao announced that a special bank account had been opened at the Banco Nacion Argentina to which donations could be made.

Although there are several formalities which much be yet complied with before the work can start the next-of-kin said the hoped the monument would be finally completed "before the end of the year".

The application approved by the Planning Committee allows the construction of two curved walls at the rear of the cemetery - in the area where the large wooden cross currently stands. A plinth, a memorial cross and a statue of the Virgin Mary as well as plaques with the names of the 655 Argentine servicemen killed in the 1982 conflict are also to be constructed.

The plaques with the names will make no reference to serviceman's rank or service as is already the case at the Malvinas Memorial in Buenos Aires.

Construction of a monument to the Argentine war dead at the Argentine Cemetery at Darwin was agreed as part of the 1999 Argentine - British agreement signed by the late Argentine Foreign Minister Guido Di Tella and his then British counterpart Robin Cook.

The approved project is a scaled down version of the original application submitted by the Next-of-Kin Association's architects Monica Berraz and Carlos D'Aprile in 1999.

The organisers are seeking to collect 1.5 million dollars for this project.