Cape Verdean opposition blames government for fire that killed nine people

The African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV, opposition) this Thursday held the government responsible for the Serra Malagueta Natural Park (PNSM) fire that killed nine people, saying it also showed the country’s lack of funds.

“It is necessary to take responsibility and administer justice, honor the memory of the dead, respond to the protests of the population, restore the self-respect of the people of Cape Verde and maintain the rule of law. The tragedy of Serra Malagueta left the country wide open with no conditions to deal with crises of this kind,” PAICV blamed in its political declaration at the first parliamentary session in April, which was read by MP Carla Carvalho.

“And when the government was expected to make a statement to the country, presenting an investment plan in this sector to prevent the future and give guarantees to the population, the prime minister seems to be promising pensions to families in a scenario of lack of responsibility and downplaying a tragedy as humiliating as it is despicable.” not only for the relatives of the victims, but for all the people of Cape Verde,” he added.

At stake is a fire that broke out on April 1 at 10:30 local time (12:30 Lisbon), in Serra Malagueta and Figueira das Naus, on the island of Santiago Cape Verde, 50 km north of Praia, combat the coordination of which was taken over by the Cape Verdean Civil Protection, with field support from soldiers and firefighters. The following day, a Cape Verdean Armed Forces vehicle left the road at around 5:20 pm local time, killing eight soldiers in the crash, and a technician from the fleet also died in these operations.

In the debate that followed the political declaration, the Movement for Democracy (PDM, in power since 2016) accused the largest opposition party of taking “political advantage” from the case, while the leader of the PAICV parliamentary group, Joao Batista Pereira, demanded a “strict and independent “investigation of this case involving not only the military, but also popular and other knowledgeable people, for a “complete” clarification of the events.

Five soldiers involved in the PNSM perimeter check remain hospitalized at the Agostinho Neto University Hospital in Praia, while 19 are recovering at the Armed Forces Polyclinic.

“Government exists to govern. And here, in this particular case, we remind you that the Higher Directorate of Civil Defense is under the authority of the Prime Minister. And everything that has happened indicates that the prime minister and his government have resigned. investments in civil protection during their seven years in office, in addition to the fact that they withdrew investments when they practically eliminated forest security agents,” PAICV accused in a political statement.

“We must say here from this rostrum that a government that cannot protect the population for the purposes for which it was created must act accordingly,” he added.

For the party that ruled Cape Verde from 2001 to 2016, this is a “gloomy picture” and “responsibility” must be demanded: “Because without responsibility there is no exercise of power.”

On Wednesday, at the start of this parliamentary session, the Cape Verdean Parliament observed a minute of silence in memory of the nine people who died on April 2 while fighting a fire in Serra Malagueta. The MpD parliamentary group also expressed condolences for the loss of life during this fire, an event that led the government to declare two days of national mourning on 4 and 5 April.

The fire destroyed almost 850 hectares of rural and forested land, according to a survey conducted by researcher Nuno de Santos Loureiro, director of the MA in Geographic Information Systems at the University of the Algarve, causing “irreparable damage” to rural and forested space. which extended into the municipalities of Santa Catarina and Tarrafal.

According to a survey using satellite imagery from the European Copernicus program before and after the fire, 846.8 hectares were destroyed, an area that corresponds to 0.85% of the entire island of Santiago.

Cape Verdean President José María Neves this week asked for an “in-depth assessment” of the National Civil Protection System following the fire.

“A thorough investigation into the causes of the accident is being carried out so that tragic events of this magnitude do not happen again. If there is responsibility, then it must be taken on,” the head of state said after visiting on Monday. The soldiers injured during the fight against the fire were still hospitalized in the Praia hospital.

“On the other hand, an in-depth assessment of the entire National Civil Protection System is needed in order to identify any weaknesses and limitations that impair its effectiveness, and to take policy measures aimed at improving the system overall,” said José María. Neves.

The Cape Verdean president recalled that the government had already approved blood pensions for the heirs of soldiers who died during the firefighting operations, but stressed that “it is also necessary to urgently compensate the families who lost their property during the fatal fire.” .

The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (CEMFA) of Cape Verde, António Duarte, earlier assured that an investigation was underway into the causes that led to the accident, as a result of which eight soldiers died while extinguishing a fire. He added that while transporting 31 soldiers to support firefighting in the Serra da Malagueta “for reasons yet to be ascertained”, the military vehicle crashed and rolled over, killing five operatives at once.

Ultimately, two soldiers died in the Tarrafal Medical Battalion and one in the Santiago Norte Detachment, in addition to 23 wounded, eight of whom are still in Praia Hospital.