afrol News / A Semana, 20 June - A helicopter and Spanish ship Castilla were made available by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Response Force (NRF) to support Cape Verdean authorities in transporting an evaluation team to the island of Brava yesterday. The offer was NATO's response to a request for transportation made by Cape Verdean authorities, who wished to survey the damage caused by the tremors felt over the weekend on Cape Verde's most isolated island.

The Cape Verdean evaluation team, which traveled from Praia to the island of Brava, visited various sites in the town of Nova Sintra and its surroundings yesterday. The visit is intended to survey the damage caused by the seismic activity that occurred on the island on 17 and 18 June. The magnitude of the tremor that struck the island has not been determined, as the seismic equipment on the island is in need of repair. No one was reported injured.

According to information provided by the NATO Information Center, the request for transportation was made to the Deployable Joint Task Force Headquarters, which commands all of the troops in Cape Verde participating in the Steadfast Jaguar 2006 NATO training exercises, through a civilian-military link staff in Praia. A joint planning session was immediately begun, and NATO officials decided to send the ship Castilla to the island of Santiago. Castilla’s helicopter then transported the Cape Verdean officials to Brava.

The NRF also carried out a marine patrol flight over the island of Brava, taking photographs of the island to obtain a general first impression of the damage. "The close collaboration between the Cape Verdean government and the NRF illustrates a series of successful efforts aimed at responding to the request for assistance," reads a NATO communiqué issued today.

By staff writers

© afrol News / A Semana

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