Subject: [Mil. History] Armed Struggle Across The River
Article:

When Richard and Sally Price were preparing for their Maroon art collection expedition (in 1990) up/down the Maroni River the 'armed' struggle in Suriname was still going on. Here are some tidbits mentioned in their book: In June 1986 the natinal army attacks the defenseless [Ndjuka] village of Mongo Tapu with artillery, aerial bombardments and tanks. The armed struggle between the national army of Suriname continued in July 1986. Ronnie Brunswijk a Ndjuka Maroon was the leader of the 'Jungle Commando'. The fighting began in Eastern Suriname and a Maroon child was shot dead by the national army. [quoted from Thomas Polime, "Berichten van de Vluchtelingen (1988)] November 29, 1986 the massacre of the Ndjuka village of Moi Wana takes place. Six children and one woman are shot dead and the village is burnt down. [quoted from Adiante Franszoon, Crisis in the Backlands (19890] In December 1986, the New York Times reported 244 Maroons killed and 10,000 Maroons fled to French Guiana. In May 1990 some young Saramakas form a new armed group called 'angula' and join the national army. On 23 July 1990 the national army takes Debike which was a base of the jungle commando. On 24 Sept 1990 the national army burns down 24 houses in the village of Botopasi [quoted from Ben Scholtens, Gloria Wekker, Gaama Duumi, Buta Gaama (1992)] The ten thousand refugees from Suriname live , since 1986, in camps in French Guiana. These camps are under control of the French army. They do not have the official status of refugees. [quoted from Liberation (9 May 1989)] August 1990, Captain Akilingi of Langatabiki [the Paramaka capital] in Suriname receives a letter from the national army to expel the jungle commandos. Whether he did or not the national army would be moving into Langatabiki. Air-to-ground rockets are fired from an Alouette 3 helicopter gunship. One person is dead and 4 wounded. The wounded are taken to a St. Laurent hospital. With the economy shot and its politics in turmoil, Suriname now languishes....the countries insurgencies continue (1990). [quoted from Gary Brama-Shute, Suriname Tries Again (1991)] ------


Met dank aan Albert Buys