Tigri Area

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Disputed region between currently administered by Guyana but claimed by Suriname Guyana Detailed Information Map.png
Disputed region between currently administered by Guyana but claimed by Suriname

The Tigri Area (Dutch : Tigri-gebied) or New River Triangle is a forested area in the East Berbice-Corentyne region of Guyana that has been disputed by Suriname [1] since the 19th century. In Suriname, it is seen as an integral part of the Coeroeni Resort located in the Sipaliwini District.

The area involves the area between the New River (renamed as the Upper Corentyne River by Suriname) and the Corentyne River which leads to the Kutari River at the border of Brazil. The Corentyne River was accepted as the natural border between these two countries until 1871 when Charles Barrington Brown discovered the New River. The dispute rests on the interpretation of the natural border, specifically whether the Kutari River or the New River is the source of the Corentyne River, despite both being tributaries. In 1969, three years after its independence, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) seized full control [2] of the disputed region when Suriname was still a constituent state of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

History

Suriname has territorial disputes with French Guiana and Guyana. Stroomgebied van de Coeroeni en Litani (1920).jpg
Suriname has territorial disputes with French Guiana and Guyana.
Map of Guianas in 1888, according to Surinamese surveyor Willem Lodewijk Loth. Kaart van Guiana - Engelsch, Nederlandsch en Fransch (1888).jpg
Map of Guianas in 1888, according to Surinamese surveyor Willem Lodewijk Loth.

The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 set the border between British Guiana and Suriname as the Courantyne River. The treaty was signed and ratified by both parties. [3] Robert Schomburgk surveyed British Guiana's borders in 1840. Taking the Courantyne River as the border, he sailed up to which he deemed its source, the Kutari River, in order to delineate the boundary. In 1871, however, Charles Barrington Brown discovered the New River or Upper Corentyne, which he considered to be source of the Corentyne River. Thus the Tigri Area or New River Triangle dispute was born. [3] [ better source needed ]

The southern border of the Tigri Area meets with the Brazilian state of Pará and, to establish this boundary, Brazil sought cooperation with Britain as they considered it under control of British Guiana and not the Netherlands. Later on, the Tri-junction Point Agreement would help establish the meeting point between what is now Brazil, Suriname, and Guyana.

The tribunal which dealt with the Venezuela Crisis of 1895 also awarded the New River Triangle to British Guiana. The Netherlands, however, raised a diplomatic protest, claiming that the New River, and not the Kutari, was to be regarded as the source of the Corentyne and the boundary. The British government replied that the issue was already settled by the acceptance of the Kutari as the boundary.

In 1936, a Mixed Commission established by the British and Dutch government agreed to award the full width of the Corentyne River to Suriname, as per the 1799 agreement. The territorial sea boundary was deemed to prolongate 10° from Point No. 61, three nautical miles (5.6 km) from the shore. The New River Triangle, however, was completely awarded to Guyana. The treaty putting this agreement into law was never ratified, because of the outbreak of World War II. [4] The Dutch representative Conrad Carel Käyser signed an agreement with British and Brazilian representatives, placing the tri-point junction near the source of the Kutari River. [4] Desiring to put the border issue to a closure before British Guiana would gain independence, the British government restarted negotiations in 1961. The British position asserted "Dutch sovereignty over the Corentyne River, a 10° line dividing the territorial sea, and British control over the New River Triangle." [4] The Netherlands replied with a formal claim to the New River Triangle, but with an additional thalweg boundary in the Corentyne River (the latter position has never been repeated by any Surinamese government). No agreements were made and Guyana became independent with its borders unresolved. [4]

Camp Tigri occupied by Guyana since 1969 despite a protocol signed with Suriname to de-militarize the area. Disputed Areas Guianas (Venezuela,Guyana,Suriname and French Guiana).png
Camp Tigri occupied by Guyana since 1969 despite a protocol signed with Suriname to de-militarize the area.

In the present village of Kuruni near the Coeroenie Airstrip, prefab houses were placed for workers on a planned weir. [5] Work also began on a camp near the Oronoque River. On 12 December 1967, four armed men of the Guyana police force landed at Oronoque, and ordered the workers to leave the area. [6] [5] Four military posts were initially established by the Surinamese army, however (mainly for financial reasons) only Camp Tigri (also known as Camp Jaguar) remained. [7] On 19 August 1969, border skirmishes occurred between Guyanese forces and Surinamese militias at Camp Tigri, which was subsequently conquered by Guyana. On 18 March 1970, Eric Williams, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago offered to mediate the conflict. [3] In November 1970 the Surinamese and Guyanese governments agreed in Trinidad and Tobago to withdraw their military forces from the Triangle. [3] Guyana has not held upon this agreement and continue to occupy the New River Triangle. [8] [9] [10] Prior to Suriname's independence in 1975, President Henck Arron asked Prime Minister Joop den Uyl of the Netherlands for a precise definition of the borders. The reply included the Tigri area. [11]

Villages

Map of the Tigri Area in Suriname with the correct names of the rivers. The villages in the area are also shown. Map of Tigri Area Suriname.png
Map of the Tigri Area in Suriname with the correct names of the rivers. The villages in the area are also shown.

The indigenous villages of Kasuela and Sakuru of the Tiriyó tribe are located inside the Tigri area. Kasuela is the oldest village of Western Trio Group and is located on an island in the middle of the New River. The village is also known as Casuela, and Cashew Island. [12] Camp Tigri known in Guyana as Camp Jaguar, is located to the north of the village. [7]

The village of Sakuru was founded in 2008 by a group of people from Kwamalasamutu. [12] It is located at 2°4′21″N56°53′21″W / 2.07250°N 56.88917°W / 2.07250; -56.88917 (Sakuru) .

See also

Related Research Articles

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

Suriname is located in the northern part of South America and is part of Caribbean South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana. It is mostly covered by tropical rainforest, containing a great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, are increasingly threatened by new development. There is a relatively small population, most of which live along the coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of Suriname</span>

As part of the foreign relations of Suriname, the country is a participant in numerous international organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Guiana</span> British colony from 1814 to 1966

British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies. It was located on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dutch colonisation of the Guianas</span> 1581–1975 colonisation in South America

The Dutch began their colonisation of the Guianas, the coastal region between the Orinoco and Amazon rivers in South America, in the late 16th century. The Dutch originally claimed all of Guiana but—following attempts to sell it first to Bavaria and then to Hanau and the loss of sections to Portugal, Britain, and France—the section actually settled and controlled by the Netherlands became known as Dutch Guiana.

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

Sipaliwini is the largest district of Suriname, located in the south. Sipaliwini is the only district that does not have a regional capital, as it is directly administered by the national government in Paramaribo. Sipaliwini District includes disputed areas, with the southwestern region controlled and administered by Guyana, whereas the southeastern region is controlled by French Guiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiriyó people</span> Cariban ethnic group of Brazil, Suriname and Guyana

The Tiriyó are an Amerindian ethnic group native to parts of northern Brazil, Suriname, and Guyana. In 2014, there were approximately 3,640 Tiriyó in the three countries. They live in several major villages and a number of minor villages in the border zone between Brazil and Suriname. They speak the Tiriyó language, a member of the Cariban language family and refer to themselves as tarëno, etymologically 'people from here' or 'local people'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courantyne River</span> River in Suriname and Guyana

The Courantyne River, also known as Corentyne and Corantijn, is a river in northern South America in Suriname and Guyana. It is the longest river in the country and creates the border between Suriname and the East Berbice-Corentyne region of Guyana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acarai Mountains</span>

The Acarai Mountains is a mountain range in the southern part of the Tigri Area on the border with Brazil. The Tigri area is a disputed territory of Guyana and Suriname. The Acarai Mountains are a wet, forested highland region of low mountains and is one of four mountain ranges in Guyana, the others being the Imataka, Kanuku and Pakaraima mountains. The headwaters of the Essequibo River, the longest river in Guyana, and the Courantyne River, have their sources in this range. The actual source of the Essequibo was discovered in 2013 by a Guyanese-German team. The mountain range was first mentioned in 1821 by A.H. Brué as Sierra do Acaray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Berbice-Corentyne</span> Region of Guyana

East Berbice-Corentyne is one of ten regions in Guyana covering the whole of the east of the country. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the north, the Nickerie District and Sipaliwini District of Suriname to the east, Brazil to the south and the regions of Mahaica-Berbice, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Potaro-Siparuni and Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guyana</span> Caribbean country in South America

Guyana officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic mainland British West Indies. Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the country's largest city. Guyana is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the south and southwest, Venezuela to the west, and Suriname to the east. With a land area of 214,969 km2 (83,000 sq mi), Guyana is the third-smallest sovereign state by area in mainland South America after Uruguay and Suriname, and is the second-least populous sovereign state in South America after Suriname; it is also one of the least densely populated countries on Earth. The official language of the country is English, although a large part of the population is bilingual in English and the indigenous languages. It has a wide variety of natural habitats and very high biodiversity. The country also hosts a part of the Amazon rainforest, the largest tropical rainforest in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kutari River</span> Small tributary river in Suriname

Kutari River, also called Cutari Rivier, Kutari Creek or Cutari Creek, is a small river on the southeastern border of Guyana and the southwestern region of Suriname. The location of the river is part of the disputed Tigri Area in the extreme South East region of Suriname.

The New River is a river of South America located in the southeastern region of Guyana. It forms the Western border of the Tigri Area or New River Triangle, a disputed territory that is claimed by both Guyana and Suriname. In 1965, to bolster this territorial claim, the Surinamese government issued a decree to begin referring to the river as the Upper Corantyne River in Suriname.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oronoque River</span> River

The Oronoque River is a river in Guyana and a tributary of the New River. The river is located in the Tigri Area which is disputed between Guyana and Suriname. The source was discovered in September 1936, and is considered the international boundary with Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coeroeni River</span> River in Brazil and Suriname

The Coeroeni River is a river in South America. It arises in the Tumuc-Humac Mountains, which forms the drainage divide between Pará, Brazil, and Suriname; from there it flows northward. The river is fed by the Aramatau, Kutari and Sipaliwini River. The Coeroeni goes on to form the border of the disputed Tigri Area by Guyana and Suriname. It eventually flows into the Courantyne River, which forms the international boundary between Guyana–Suriname.

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

Coeroeni is a resort in Suriname, located in the Sipaliwini District. Its population at the 2012 census was 1,046. The resort is mainly inhabited by indigenous people of the Tiriyó tribe. Kwamalasamutu is the main village of the resort and home to the granman Asongo Alalaparu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borders of Suriname</span> Country borders

The borders of Suriname consist of land borders with three countries: Guyana, Brazil, and France. The borders with Guyana and France are in dispute, but the border with Brazil has been uncontroversial since 1906.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guyana–Suriname relations</span> Bilateral relations

Guyana – Suriname relations are the bilateral relations between Guyana and Suriname. Suriname has an embassy in Georgetown. Guyana has an embassy in Paramaribo. The Courentyne River makes up most of the border between the two countries.

Kuruni is a village in the Coeroeni resort in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. The village is inhabited by indigenous people of the Tiriyó tribe. The inhabitants are of the subgroup Aramayana or the Bee people.

Kasuela is an indigenous village of the Tiriyó people in the East Berbice-Corentyne region of Guyana. The village has a population of about 80 people. The inhabitants are of the subgroup Mawayana or the Frog people.

Camp Tigri or Camp Jaguar is a military camp and airstrip located in the Tigri Area. The area is disputed between Suriname and Guyana.

References

  1. ↑ McNally, Rand (1993). The New International Atlas.
  2. ↑ "New River Triangle Dispute". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "De Gids. Jaargang 133". Digital Library for Dutch Literature (in Dutch). 1970. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Donovan, Thomas W. (2012-08-13). "SURINAME-GUYANA MARITIME AND TERRITORIAL DISPUTES: A LEGAL AND HISTORICAL ANALYSIS" (PDF). pp. 56–60. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-08-13. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
  5. 1 2 "Airstrip Coeroeni". TRIS Online (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "The defence of the New River, 1967-1969". Stabroek News. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Een halve eeuw Tigri". Star Nieuws (in Dutch). 19 August 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  8. ↑ Tracy (2014-05-12). "Suriname, Guyana in Dispute Over Mineral-Rich Land". Atlanta Black Star. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
  9. ↑ Paramaribo (2011-06-08). "Bouterse: Tigri-gebied is en blijft van Suriname". Waterkant (in Dutch). Retrieved 2021-02-27.
  10. ↑ bchamch, Auteur; ralall (2017-07-30). "IS TIGRI WEL VAN SURINAME?". B-cham Chandralall (in Dutch). Retrieved 2021-02-27.
  11. ↑ "Landkaart van Suriname". Suriname.nu (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  12. 1 2 "Amotopoan trails : a recent archaeology of Trio movements - Page 5". University of Leiden. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
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