
As Mercopress have reported in a series of articles over the past eight years, the Falkland Islands are slowly being cleared of the landmines laid by Argentine forces during the 1982 war. Last week this process reached a key milestone when Goose Green settlement, the site of a key battle in late May 1982, was announced as being mine-free.

DYNASAFE Bactec recently returned to the Falkland Islands to continue demining operations, namely the completion of Phase 5a by March 18. “The break of around 10 weeks has allowed us all to recharge our batteries to finish these remaining tasks,” said Project Manager Julius Unsung.

Falkland Islanders who were held prisoner in the Goose Green Community Hall by the invading Argentine forces in 1982, joined with members of the British 3 PARA to commemorate those who died during the battle to liberate the settlement which happened at 13:30 hours May 29th.

Minefield clearance in the Falklands is going well on the current phase which will run until June 2017, Dynasafe Bactec Ltd. Program manager Guy Marot confirmed this week to Penguin News. Work to date has involved technical survey and clearance work in the Eliza Cove area (south east Stanley) and Goose Green, and is scheduled to continue after Christmas in the Mount Longdon and Hearndon Waters (Murrell) minefields, and Port Howard on West Falklands.

Members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) currently visiting the Falkland Islands have stated they are quite clear on the wishes of the Argentine families, in relation to the potential future identification of remains of unknown Argentine soldiers in the Argentine memorial at Darwin.

The Argentine province of Salta has passed a law forcing people to sing a song at every public event declaring that the Falkland Islands belong to Argentina. The law will also require every state school in the province to sing the song, known as ”Lilian Guitián, alongside the national anthem.

Bringing contract workers in to ensure enough staff to maintain the Falkland Islands' roads ready for the start of the season in the spring, if not earlier is MLA Gavin Short’s wish.

The BACTEC team is now fully deployed in the Falkland Islands clearing three minefields: two in the vicinity of Mile Pond and Mullet creek and the third south of the water tanks on the Stanley to Darwin and Goose Green Road. The mine-clearance project for these areas should be over by the end of March.

The son of Falkland Islands war hero Colonel ‘H’ Jones is to take command of Britain’s 9.000 troops in Afghanistan, reports the Daily Mail. Brigadier Rupert Jones was 13 when his father died during a one-man charge on an Argentine trench in the Battle of Goose Green in 1982, for which he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

Electricity generated from wind is spreading across the Falkland Islands with two large farms Goose Green and Fitzroy preparing to be the next to have turbines, inverters and batteries installed.