Saturday, October 14, 2006

by Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent
Email: ivan@caribbeannetnews.com

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: A group of former rebels in Suriname has threatened to blow up the hydro-power dam if the government continues to refuse implementing a peace agreement signed in 1992.

“We are giving the government one week to at least start with the implementation of the 1992 Peace Agreement. After that things will start to blow up and bullets will fly! We have nothing to lose and are prepared to die for our rights,” former members of the Jungle Commando said at the presentation of a petition to Speaker of the National Assembly, Paul Somohardjo.

The former combatants are still waiting for the promised jobs, re-education and land to start their own businesses after they were demobilized.

“We have fought to restore democracy in the country. We want to work,” said one of the angry petitioners. “They (the government) shouldn’t think that we don’t have weapons. We do and we also have explosives. If they don’t help us, people won’t have electricity in the capital,” said another agitated former rebel.

In receiving the petition, Somohardjo noted that it is a positive element that former rebel leader Ronnie Brunswijk, currently an elected member of parliament, is in the coalition. Brunswijk should be given space to find a solution for his former comrades. The petitioners however argued that they don’t have any belief anymore in their former leader.

The government has yet to respond formally on the petition.

Speaking to journalists, Vice-President Ramdien Sardjoe said that the government is taking every threat seriously. “The hard talk is not conducive to the peace and security and the government is doing its utmost to preserve peace and security for the entire community,” said the vice-president.

According to Defence Minister Ivan Fernald, government should consider this issue very seriously and all stakeholders should seek a solution through a constructive approach, “because nobody wins if it escalates,” he said.

Justice Minister Chandrikapersad Santokhi argued that since there is a signed agreement, the government should adhere to it and implement what was agreed upon with the armed groups.

“If there are problems in executing the agreement, than we as government should communicate this with the stakeholders to identify the bottlenecks and seek a solution,” he added.

From 1987 to 1992 several armed groups waged an internal war against the military dictatorship led by Desi Bouterse, in a so-called war to reinstate democracy in Suriname.

Under the auspices of the Organisation of American States (OAS), a peace agreement was brokered and parties signed the Kourou Peace Agreement in Kourou, in neighboring French-Guiana. According to the former rebels the government 14 years later the government hasn't kept its end of the deal completely.

The Afobakka hydro-power dam is owned by aluminum company Suralco, a subsidiary of American multinational Alcoa. During the armed conflict a rebel group had seized the dam and also threatened to blast the facility.

Eventually the National Army was dispatched to quell the situation, but upon arrival of the troops the rebels had already fled the scene.

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