A critical deadline looms in Suriname’s mining conflict as police have issued a Friday 8:00 AM ultimatum for gold miners to vacate the contested territory between New Koffiekamp’s border and the Royal Hill mine, including the Redi Bergi area. The confrontation between artisanal miners and multinational Zijin Rosebel Gold Mines has reached a pivotal moment following recent violent clashes that resulted in one fatality and the destruction of heavy machinery.
President Jennifer Simons, speaking during the reopening of the NDP’s Social Services Bureau, emphasized diplomatic resolution over forceful measures. “If proper agreements are reached, harsh intervention becomes unnecessary,” Simons stated, acknowledging the complex historical dimensions of the land dispute. The President highlighted the economic stakes for Suriname, which holds a 30% stake in Zijin’s operations. “The government must enable Zijin to operate—when production halts, the entire nation suffers financial losses,” she explained.
The escalating tensions follow an incident within Zijin’s concession area that claimed the life of a small-scale miner and prompted the company to withdraw its staff. Security forces have struggled to maintain order as miners, who assert their activities are legal, refuse to abandon the site. President Simons called for equitable solutions that address all stakeholders: “We must develop solutions for all parties to move forward peacefully. Gold seekers require designated areas rather than operating dangerously near active mining zones, while respecting the historical claims of local communities.”