Argentinian war veterans: Game against England 'not an armed rematch'

Argentinian war veterans have urged football fans to focus on football ahead of the World Cup semi-final between Argentina and England on Wednesday.

The April 2 War Veterans Federation called on fans to stop using the match as a platform to push sovereignty claims over the South Atlantic islands.

“Sovereignty is defended in international forums through diplomacy, historical truth and the peaceful, non-negotiable claim enshrined in our national constitution,” they said in a statement.

Argentina and Britain fought a conflict over the islands, known by Argentinians as the Malvinas and by the British as Falklands.

The conflict, which started on Apirl 2, 1982, killed almost 1,000 soldiers – nearly two-thirds of them were Argentinians.

The island is currently a British Overseas Territory and have internal self-governance.

The veterans group said that the match against England was “not an armed rematch nor historical compensation,” asking fans to honour the memory of Argentine soldiers killed in the conflict without promoting hatred.