PARAMARIBO – Deadly violence in the Royal Hill gold mining region near Koffiekamp has sparked fierce backlash from lawmakers in Suriname’s Nationale Assemblee (National Assembly), who are calling for a full independent investigation into the circumstances that left two small-scale gold prospectors dead. The incident, reported on May 6, has exposed deep divisions between official accounts and witness testimony, as well as long-simmering frustration over the government’s failure to address the root causes of informal mining in the country.
The most vocal critic of the government and police’s official narrative is Edgar Sampi, a parliamentarian representing the ABOP party. Sampi has pointed to major contradictions between official statements and accounts from people on the ground. Official government and police reports frame the two deaths as accidents that occurred during operations targeting illegal gold mining activity in the region. But eyewitnesses tell a different story, alleging that the miners were killed in an episode of excessive force, and may have been shot in cold blood. These conflicting accounts make an independent, impartial inquiry non-negotiable, Sampi argued.
Multiple members of the National Assembly have echoed Sampi’s concerns, noting that the issue of unregulated informal gold mining has plagued the country for decades. Lawmakers stress that forced evictions of informal miners without providing viable alternative livelihoods do nothing to create a long-term solution to the crisis. “As soon as security pressure eases, people go back to the area to mine,” Sampi explained, pointing out that prospectors have no other way to earn income to support their families.
The growing calls for action are not limited to a probe into the recent deadly incident. Parliament is increasingly demanding a structural, comprehensive approach to the gold mining sector that addresses both public safety concerns and the socioeconomic needs of communities that rely on informal mining for survival. In response to the outcry from lawmakers, the Surinamese government has confirmed that the incident is receiving full attention, and that additional investigation into the deaths will be carried out in the coming period.