Surinamese Interior War

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Surinamese Interior War
Situation of the Civil War of Suriname.png
Date22 July 1986 – 8 August 1992
(6 years, 2 weeks and 3 days)
Location
Eastern Suriname
Result Jungle Commando surrenders after restoration of democracy.
Belligerents
Flag of Suriname.svg National Army Jungle Commando
Tucayana Amazonas
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Suriname.svg Lachmipersad Frederik Ramdat Misier
Flag of Suriname.svg Ramsewak Shankar
Flag of Suriname.svg Johan Kraag
Flag of Suriname.svg Ronald Venetiaan
Flag of Suriname.svg Dési Bouterse
Ronnie Brunswijk
Thomas Sabajo
Casualties and losses
60 jungle commandos
At least 300 civilians were killed [1]

The Surinamese Interior War (Dutch : Binnenlandse Oorlog) was a civil war waged in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname between 1986 and 1992. It was fought by the Tucayana Amazonas led by Thomas Sabajo [2] and the Jungle Commando led by Ronnie Brunswijk, whose members originated from the Maroon ethnic group, against the National Army led by then-army chief and de facto head of state Dési Bouterse.

Contents

Background

Suriname has one of the most ethnically diverse populations in South America, with people of ethnic Indian (South Asian), Javanese, Chinese, European, Amerindian, African (Creole and Maroon), and multiracial origin. The Maroons' ancestors were African slaves who escaped from coastal Suriname between the mid-seventeenth and late eighteenth centuries to form independent settlements in the interior. They settled in interior parts of Suriname, and gained independence by signing a peace treaty with the Dutch in the 1760s. The Dutch were unable to conquer them and agreed to allow them autonomy within their territory. [3]

In 1975 Suriname gained full independence from the Netherlands. Dési Bouterse participated in building a national army. Five years later, in 1980, he and fifteen other army sergeants led a bloody coup against the country's Government. Bouterse eventually consolidated all power. In 1987 he directed the National Assembly to adopt a new constitution that allowed him to continue as head of the army, as a civilian government was established under close watch.

Conflict

Monument in Albina, Suriname to the Moiwana massacre victims of the civil war Moiwana monument.JPG
Monument in Albina, Suriname to the Moiwana massacre victims of the civil war

The war began as a personal feud between Bouterse and Brunswijk, a Maroon who had served as Bouterse's bodyguard. It later assumed political dimensions. Brunswijk demanded democratic reforms, civil rights, and economic development for the country's Maroon minority. [1]

The Surinamese Interior War started in Stolkertsijver on 22 July 1986 at around 03:00. 12 soldiers guarding the checkpoint were captured. [4] Later that night, an armed group opened fire on the army barracks in Albina. The fighting lasted three hours, and one soldier and two civilians were wounded. [5] Later it was confirmed that the Jungle Commando headed by Ronnie Brunswijk was behind both attacks. The National Army responded by destroying the temple in Moengotapoe, and capturing all males present. [6]

In November 1986, military forces attacked Moiwana, home village of Brunswijk. They massacred 35 people, mostly women and children. They destroyed most of the village, burning down Brunswijk's house and others. [7] More than 100 survivors fled across the border to French Guiana. [8]

On 1 June 1989 rebels captured Afobaka Dam, Suriname's main hydroelectric plant, and threatened to flood the capital Paramaribo unless the government agreed to negotiations. Despite the threats, the rebels withdrew 36 hours later on Brunswijk's orders. [1] On 7 June 1989 talks were held on the island of Portal. The delegations reached an agreement on a tentative peace proposal. The government signed the pact on 21 July 1989, which was approved by parliament on 7 August 1989. The accord declared the intention of both sides to end hostilities. [1]

A cease-fire was signed in June 1989. An emergency aid program to rebuild Maroon villages, an end to a state of emergency in the eastern part of the country, and the return of refugees to Suriname were among the actions launched by the peace agreement. The government had proposed that the Jungle Commando troops were to be transformed into a security unit, to patrol the interior of the country. [1]

A group of indigenous people felt betrayed by the 1989 Treaty of Kourou, [9] which gave the Maroons more rights, but neglected indigenous rights. [10] On 31 August 1989, they took possession of the ferry near Jenny and called themselves the Tucayana Amazonas. [11] The group went on to take possession of the villages of Apoera, Washabo, [12] and finally Bigi Poika where they set up their headquarters. [10] The Tucayana Amazonas were headed by Thomas Sabajo and his brother Hugo "Piko". [10] In-fighting occurred and Thomas switched sides to the Surinamese Army which quickly moved in to regain control over the area. [12] Piko fled to Guyana, but was arrested by the police in February 1990, and returned to Suriname [13] where Piko and his supporters were killed. [10]

Cease-fire violations continued after the truce without escalating into a full-scale conflict. [14] But by September 1989, at least 300 people had been killed, numerous villages were destroyed, and bauxite mining operations were being disrupted. An estimated 7000 maroons fled to refugee camps in French Guiana. [1]

On 19 March 1991, a meeting between representatives took place in the eastern mining town of Moengo. The government offered integration of Jungle Commando into the Suriname Army, and jobs for Maroons in gold prospecting and forestry in return for complete disarmament. [14] On 27 March 1991, final talks were held in the town of Drietabbetje, effectively putting an end to the conflict. Despite the agreement, a number of Jungle Commando officials residing in the Netherlands denounced the conditions and vowed to continue their armed struggle. [14]

On 8 August 1992, a peace treaty was signed between the National Army, the Jungle Commando, and the Tucayana Amazonas. [15]

War crimes

On 7 and 8 December 1982, military policemen kidnapped 15 men from their beds, most of them civilians, placed them on a bus and then murdered them after conspiracy charges were lodged against them (see the December murders). The victims were all members of the Suriname Association for Democracy, a group critical of the Surinamese military government. The group, according to government officials, was part of a conspiracy that was planning a coup d'état on Christmas Day. The state later admitted of conducting inadequate investigations into the case. An investigation began in 2008. Despite accepting political responsibility, Bouterse denied direct involvement. [16]

On 29 November 1986, the military government executed more than 40 people, including women and children, and burned the village of Moiwana. Three years after the attack, a statement was issued, in which Bouterse assumed direct responsibility for the murders. As a result of an Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) investigation, the Surinamese government made a public apology to the victims' families in 2006, additionally paying compensation to the survivors. The perpetrators of the crime remained unpunished. [16]

On 23 April 1987, [17] the war had come to Sipaliwini. [18] The Jungle Commando headed by Ronnie Brunswijk ordered the villagers of Pokigron into the jungle, robbed them of their possessions, and burned their houses. [17] On 11 September 1987, the National Army led by Dési Bouterse, retaliated by attacking the Jungle Commando, and according to a report by Aide Médicale Internationale, killed civilians including women and children. Both parties have denied that any civilians had been killed. [19] On 27 September 1989, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights looked into the matter, declared that this constituted a very serious violation of the Right to Life, recommended that the Government of Suriname investigate the matter, and that the relatives of the victims are entitled to fair compensation. The IACHR identified 15 cases of deaths, four disappearances and one was unclear. Six of the cases were children, and three were women of which one was raped before she was killed. [20]

On 31 December 1987, during a counter-insurgency operation in the Atjoni region seven Maroon civilians were driven off in a military vehicle on suspicion of belonging to the Jungle Commando. A few kilometers further, they were ordered to dig their own graves. Six of the Maroons were summarily executed while the seventh died from sustained injuries while trying to escape. [21] An IACHR investigation into the case was launched in January 1988. [21] On 10 September 1993 the court awarded the victims' families U.S.$450,000 in damages and required Suriname to compensate the families for the expenses incurred in locating the victims' bodies. A second decision further determined the financial reparations insufficient, ordering the state to re-open the Saramaca medical dispensary and the school in the victims' village. [21]

Related Research Articles

The early history of Suriname dates from 3000 BCE when Native Americans first inhabited the area. The Dutch acquired Suriname from the English, and European settlement in any numbers dates from the 17th century, when it was a plantation colony utilizing slavery for sugar cultivation. With abolition in the late 19th century, planters sought labor from China, Madeira, India, and Indonesia, which was also colonized by the Dutch. Dutch is Suriname's official language. Owing to its diverse population, it has also developed a creole language, Sranan Tongo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dési Bouterse</span> 8th President of Suriname

Desiré Delano Bouterse is a Surinamese military officer, politician, convicted murderer, and drug trafficker who served as President of Suriname from 2010 to 2020. From 1980 to 1987, he was Suriname's de facto leader after conducting a military coup and establishing a period of military rule. In 1987, Bouterse founded the National Democratic Party (NDP). On 25 May 2010, Bouterse's political alliance, the Megacombinatie, which included the NDP, won the parliamentary elections, and on 19 July 2010, Bouterse was elected as President of Suriname with 36 of 50 parliament votes. He was inaugurated on 12 August 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marowijne District</span> District of Suriname

Marowijne is a district of Suriname, located on the north-east coast. Marowijne's capital city is Albina, with other towns including Moengo and Wanhatti. The district borders the Atlantic Ocean to the north, French Guiana to the east, the Surinamese district of Sipaliwini to the south, and the Surinamese districts of Commewijne and Para to the west.

The Jungle Commando was a guerrilla commando group in Suriname. It was founded by Ronnie Brunswijk in 1986 to ensure equal rights for Suriname's minority Maroon population. The group was formed after the Suriname troops committed mass murder against 35 people in Moiwana Village, near Moengo, after the Suriname national army failed to capture Ronnie Brunswijk. The Commando fought against Dési Bouterse and the Surinamese army in the Suriname Guerrilla War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moiwana</span> Village in Marowijne District, Suriname

Moiwana is a Maroon village in the Marowijne district in the east of Suriname.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albina, Suriname</span> Place in Marowijne District, Suriname

Albina is a town in eastern Suriname, and is capital of the Marowijne District. The town lies on the west bank of the Marowijne river, which forms the border with French Guiana, directly opposite the French Guianan town of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, to which it is connected by a frequent ferry service. Albina can be reached by bus via the East-West Link. The distance between Paramaribo and Albina is about 150 kilometres (95 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pokigron</span> Place in Sipaliwini, Suriname

Pokigron is a town in Suriname located on the Upper Suriname River near the Brokopondo Reservoir. It is located in the Boven Suriname municipality (resort) in the Sipaliwini District. It has a population of approximately 400 people in 2018. Pokigron is located at the end of a paved road via Brownsweg to the Avobakaweg. Pokigron is often referred to as Atjoni which is the nearby quay, and literally the end of the road. Villages to the South of Pokigron have to be accessed by boat. The village is home to Maroons of the Saramaka tribe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Somohardjo</span> Surinamese politician

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramsewak Shankar</span> 4th President of Suriname

Ramsewak Shankar is a Surinamese politician who was the 4th President of Suriname, serving from 1988 to 1990. His government was overthrown by Dési Bouterse leading a bloodless military coup. Shankar had previously served as Agriculture & Fisheries Minister from 1969 to 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moengotapoe</span> Resort in Marowijne District, Suriname

Moengotapoe is a resort in Suriname, located in the Marowijne District. Its population at the 2012 census was 579.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stolkertsijver</span> Place in Commewijne District, Suriname

Stolkertsijver is a town in the Commewijne District of Suriname. It is situated on the East-West Link. At Stolkertsijver, a bridge spanning the Commewijne River was built in 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 Surinamese coup d'état</span> Military coup led by Dési Bouterse

The 1980 Surinamese coup d'état, usually referred to as the Sergeants' Coup, was a military coup in Suriname which occurred on 25 February 1980, when a group of 16 sergeants of the Surinamese Armed Forces (SKM) led by Dési Bouterse overthrew the government of Prime Minister Henck Arron with a violent coup d'état. This marked the beginning of the military dictatorship that dominated the country from 1980 until 1991. The dictatorship featured the presence of an evening curfew, the lack of freedom of press, a ban on political parties, a restriction on the freedom of assembly, a high level of government corruption, and the summary executions of political opponents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie Brunswijk</span> Surinamese politician and former rebel (born 1961)

Ronnie Brunswijk is a Surinamese politician, businessman, former rebel leader, footballer and convicted drug trafficker, who is serving as the current Vice President of Suriname.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henk Chin A Sen</span> 2nd President of Suriname

Hendrick Rudolf "Henk" Chin A Sen was a Surinamese politician who served as the President of Suriname from 15 August 1980 until 4 February 1982.

Roy Dennis Horb was a Surinamese military officer. He was one of the sergeants who committed a military coup in Suriname on 25 February 1980, and the right hand man of army leader Dési Bouterse.

Baal Indradj Oemrawsingh was a Surinamese professor of biochemistry at the University of Suriname, and member of the National Assembly of Suriname between 1977 and 1980. He was considered the political leader behind the Rambocus Coup of March 1982. He was one of the victims killed by the military regime of Dési Bouterse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stoelmanseiland</span> Village and island in the Paramacca Resort of Suriname

Stoelmanseiland is an island, and a village in the Paramacca resort of the Sipaliwini District in Suriname. It is located at the confluence of the Tapanahony River with the Lawa River which forms the Marowijne River, and is also the border with French Guiana.

The Tucayana Amazonas was an Amerindian guerrilla commando group in Suriname.

Alfonsdorp is a village of indigenous Lokono people in the Albina resort of the Marowijne District of Suriname. The village is located on the East-West Link. The Wanekreek Nature Reserve is located near the village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moiwana massacre</span> 1986 massacre of Maroon villagers by Surinamese soldiers

The Moiwana Massacre was a massacre perpetrated by the armed forces of Suriname on the Maroon village of Moiwana on 29 November 1986.

References

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  15. Boven 2006, p. 207.
  16. 1 2 "Suriname: Justice Under Fire". Council on Hemispheric Affairs Report. June 14, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
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Sources