This dyad belongs to the conflict Suriname: Government
Summary of conflict Suriname: Government
Suriname, a former Dutch colony, became independent in 1975. In 1980, the civilian government was overthrown by the army in a coup. In 1986 a rebel group called Surinamese Liberation Army (SLA) or Jungle Commando led by Ronnie Brunswijk rose up against the military government to restore democracy. The conflict became active (over 25 battle related deaths) in 1987 but became inactive in 1988 due to low activity. In its battle against the rebels, the government army targeted civilians suspected of assisting the rebels. In 1988, a new democratically government was elected, negotiating an agreement with the rebels in 1989. Another agreement was signed in 1992 that finally regulated the conflict.
Background to the SLA insurgency
Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667, passing from British to Dutch influence. During Dutch colonial rule, Suriname was called Dutch Guiana. Suriname was granted independence in 1975. The Netherlands left behind a parliamentary democracy where political parties developed mainly along ethnic lines. In the 1970s, the economy stagnated, and unemployment and an increase in poverty led to widespread discontent, weakening the government. These developments led to a revolt within the army and on 25 February 1980 a group of army officers took power in a coup known as “the sergeants’ revolution” and formed a junta lead by Lt. Col. Dési Bouterse. At first, the coup was welcomed by most of the population. Soon however, the junta tried to consolidate its power through censoring of the media and elimination of rivals and opponents. On 9 December 1982, 15 leading opposition figures – lawyers, journalists and trade union leaders – were brutally murdered by the government. On the economic front, the situation deteriorated and in 1985, the economy declined for the fourth consecutive year. Moreover, in the aftermath of the 1982 “December murders”, both the Netherlands and the United States had suspended their aid packages. The deteriorating economic and political situation forced the junta to open a dialogue with the leaders of the principal political parties that had operated before the coup. Therefore, a National Assembly was formed in 1985 and a new Cabinet of Ministers was installed the following year. The de facto power nonetheless still resided with the military headed by Bouterse. The government grew all the more unpopular as a result of the media censoring, the economic decline and the elimination of opponents and was almost politically and economically bankrupt by 1986 as protesters demanded the government step down and restore democracy.
At this time, a revolt against the government was developing. A Maroon rebel group, SLA (Surinamese Liberation Army) was formed and led by former Corporal Ronnie Brunswijk, himself a Maroon. The Maroons (also called bush negroes) were descendants of escaped slaves and inhibited the central part of the country. Brunswijk claimed that his aim was to restore democracy and to hold elections.
The SLA rebellion
Ronnie Brunswijk was a former bodyguard of Lt. Col. Bouterse but left the regime in early 1986. His rebel group was named SLA (Surinamese Liberation Army) but was generally called the Jungle Commando. Brunswijk represented the hard-line opposition that believed that the only way to restore democracy was to force Bouterse and his close supporters out of the country. In a statement read out on Dutch television on 29 July 1986, Brunswijk called on the people of Suriname to overthrow the regime of Lt. Col. Bouterse. The rebels first appeared in May 1986 but the 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 for the purpose of seizing weapons in order to build up their arsenal. After these weapon-collecting attacks the rebels’ campaign intensified with sniper attacks on army patrols, destruction of bridges and palm oil plantations and eventually assaults on towns. The rebels had considerable support from the Maroons, Brunswijk’s own ethnic group.
In the late summer of 1986, the fighting intensified with offensives and counter-offensives. In September, the SLA twice attacked the army camp in Albina and managed to take down a helicopter carrying army reinforcements which led to a counter-move by the government forces sending more forces to the area which forced the rebels deeper into the jungle. On 9 September, government forces claimed that they had destroyed the headquarters of the SLA. In late 1986, the rebels intensified its attacks against imperative economic targets such as blowing up power lines supplying the bauxite mining industry. 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. Despite the intensification, only a small number of battle related deaths were reported.
In 1987 the conflict became active, i.e. passed 25 battle related deaths. The insurgency continued with fighting reported throughout most of the country. A number of clashes occurred during the year resulting in casualties on both sides. In June, the government army launched an offensive that regained control of the country’s second largest city lost to the rebels in November 1986. By the end of the year, the army was in control of the areas surrounding the capital and had managed to regain control of some parts of eastern, and most of the western Suriname. The rebels controlled most of the eastern and the some of the southern parts of the country.
Domestic and external pressure forced the government to hold general elections on 25 November 1987. The elections resulted in the defeat of the sitting government. Instead, a coalition of parties formed a new civilian government. However, Lt. Col. Bouterse would still be commander of the army. After the elections, The SLA declared a unilateral ceasefire that ended on 6 January 1988 when rebels attacked an army patrol, possibly as retaliation for a government attack on Maroon civilians on New Year’s Day. There was also a report of another army attack on a Maroon village with many civilians killed. Nonetheless, efforts at ending the conflict were initiated during 1988.
The conflict was terminated in 1987, due to low activity.
Negotiations and agreements
In early 1988, conflict activity was decreasing. On 5 April, despite resistance from the army to negotiate with the rebels, the government together with the Committee of Christian Churches met with the SLA. The meeting, which took place on Stoelmans Island, a rebel base on the border with French Guiana, was aimed according to the church delegation leader at formalising the ceasefire, which has been in effect since January. A new round of talks was held in Cayenne, French Guiana on 27-28 June 1988 mediated by the Committee of Christian Churches headed by Catholic Bishop Aloysius Zichem resulting in a ceasefire agreement and an agenda outlining further talks. The agreement was immediately threatened by a clash between government and rebel troops, resulting in casualties on both sides. Nevertheless, negotiations between the SLA and the Suriname government on 17-21 July 1989 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. The military leadership opposed the agreement, especially the clause that demanded the integration of SLA into the police force and the return of refugees. However, on 19 December 1989, direct talks between Lt. Col. Bouterse and rebel leader Brunswijk took place in Paramaribo. This meeting was followed by talks on 2-3 March 1990 between Brunswijk and government representatives. A preliminary agreement between the parties was later reached on 26 March 1991.
On 24 December 1990, military leaders had once again launched a coup and seized control of the government. However, in response to political pressure from the United States, the Netherlands, France, and the Organization of American States, elections were held on 25 May 1991 where Ronald Venetiaan was elected president. The new government quickly passed an act that officially deprived the military of all political power and was able to negotiate an agreement with the SLA, settling the conflict. The agreement, the Lelydorp accord, was signed on 1 August 1992 and included rebel surrendering of weapons supervised by the Organization of American States, as well as the recruitment of rebels into the police force. Furthermore, an amnesty for the rebels in exchange for their weapons was scheduled to start on 17 August. In April 1993, Lt. Col. Bouterse resigned as commander of the armed forces.
Attacks and massacres against civilians
Before and during the conflict, government troops attacked Maroon villages, causing the death of up to 300 Maroon civilians.
As the SLA intensified its armed struggle in 1986, government troops started targeting Maroon villages believed to be supporting the rebels. Those suspected of assisting the rebels were rounded up and transported to military barracks. In early November 1986, the military undertook an operation against the rebels in eastern Suriname, which also included attacks on Maroon villages. On 29 November 1986, a specialized army unit attacked the village of Mooiwana, alleged to be a stronghold of the SLA. At least 35 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed by the government army, and their houses burnt. In December 1986 alone, some report that up to 244 Maroons were killed by the military death squads operating on government instruction. On 11 September 1987 the army reportedly massacred some 40 civilians at Pokigron, a Maroon village.
According to a report in March 1987, a mass grave containing hundreds of victims allegedly killed by government troops was found. In February 1988, a human rights investigation team set up by the International Commission of Jurists stated that the army was responsible for the killing of 150-200 Maroon civilians between June 1986 and August 1987. The report cited 20 separate events.
