General information
Part of Conflict: Suriname: Government
Date of first stated goals of incompatibility: 1986-07-29
Comment on date of first stated goal of incompatibility: Ronny Brunswick leader of the SLA called in a statement for the overthrow of the Bouterse regime, on 29 July. The statement, which was read out on Dutch television by the leader of an opposition group based in Amsterdam, called on the people of Surinam to resist the regime.
Date of first use of armed force: 1986-07-21
Comment on date of first use of armed force: The rebal military campaign began on 21 July with an attack on three military posts, including the main camp at the eastern border town of Albina.
First Battle Related Death: 1986-08-21
Comment on First Battle Related Death: On 21 August 1986, the SLA killed four army soldiers in clashes between army units and rebels.
Date when dyad reached 25 battle releated deaths: 1987-10-12
Comment on date when dyad reached 25 battle related deaths: The government claim to have killed around 80 SLA rebels until middle of October 1987. For instance, the army claims to have killed 30 rebels in mid July in a sweep in the eastern parts of the country and another 40 rebels in September. These numbers cannot however be independently confirmed. By 12 October, the number of battle related deaths should at least have passed the 25-threshhold.
Conflict issues
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
1986
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 1 |
| Best | 1 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Suriname): n/a
Side B (SLA): n/a
1987
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 26 |
| Best | 26 |
| Low | 1 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Suriname): n/a
Side B (SLA): n/a
1988
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Suriname): n/a
Side B (SLA): n/a
1989
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 7 |
| Best | 7 |
| Low | 7 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Suriname): n/a
Side B (SLA): n/a
1990
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 4 |
| Best | 4 |
| Low | 4 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Suriname): n/a
Side B (SLA): n/a
1991
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Suriname): n/a
Side B (SLA): n/a
1992
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Suriname): n/a
Side B (SLA): n/a
Dyad Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
1986 Dyad Archive
Comment on Active: The SLA military campaign began on 21 July with attacks on three military posts, including the main camp in the eastern border town of Albina, one of Surinams major bauxite-producing cities. A number of hit-and-run attacks against the army in eastern Suriname followed. Operating alongside the porous eastern border with French Guiana along the Marowijne River, the initial attacks of the rebels targeted military outposts and police stations.
In the late summer of 1986, the fighting intensified with offensives and counter-offensives. As the fighting escalated and Maroon villages suspected of assisting the SLA was attacked and civilian villagers killed by the army, thousands of residents fled across the border into French Guiana. By mid-December, the government army claimed that they had regained control of all areas of economic importance.
Negotiations: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
1987 Dyad Archive
Comment on Yearly Battle Related Deaths: The high estimate is based on the many unconfirmed accounts of battle related deaths.
Comment on Active: The battle related deaths are difficult to verify independently.
At least 10 rebels were said to have been killed in early July. In mid July, the army claimed to have killed 30 rebels in a sweep in the eastern part of the country.
In September, the army destroyed a major guerrilla camp south of the capital, killing about 40 rebels, according to the army. The attack follows a series of guerrilla raids the previous month on military and civilian targets in the southern Brokopondo district. Another 11 soldiers were killed in September and October according to rebels and around 14 rebels according to the army.
Negotiations: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: No or Low Activity
Date of termination: 1987-12-31
1988 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
1989 Dyad Archive
Negotiations: YES
Comment on Negotiations: Negotiations between the SLA and the Suriname government on 17-21 July was held in Kourou, French Guiana, led to the signing of an agreement on 21 July. The agreement, called the Kourou Accord, called for end to the state of emergency imposed in December 1986, safe return of the many thousands of refugees who had fled to French Guiana, general amnesty for those involved in the conflict and for the SLA rebels to be integrated into the police force and serve in Maroon areas.
On 19 December, direct talks between Lt. Col. Bouterse and rebel leader Brunswijk took place in Paramaribo.
Neither of these agreements fit the UCDP criteria for a peace agreement and are therefore not included as such in the database.
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
1990 Dyad Archive
Negotiations: YES
Comment on Negotiations: Talks on 2-3 March 1990 were held between Brunswijk and government representatives.
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
1991 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
1992 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
