A high-stakes leadership dispute has erupted at Suriname’s leading forest management regulatory body, with Minister of Land and Forestry Policy (GBB) Stanley Soeropawiro formally requesting permission from the dismissal committee of the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Labor to remove Ruben Ravenberg, general director of the Stichting Bosbeheer en Bostoezicht (SBB), from his post. In his formal request, the minister cites compelling, weighty grounds for the termination, outlined in a written submission to the independent committee. Soeropawiro points to two core issues: a severely broken working relationship between Ravenberg and the SBB board, and documented irregularities surrounding Ravenberg’s official employment status. The conflict centers on what is described as a “parallel agreement” that was put in place alongside Ravenberg’s standard indefinite-term employment contract. According to the minister, this secondary agreement was created without required legal authorization, specifically lacking an official mandate from the Council of Ministers. This action, he argues, directly violates SBB’s foundational statutes, which explicitly state that the organization’s director must be appointed, suspended, and dismissed by the minister on the nomination of the board. Beyond the contractual irregularity, Soeropawiro emphasizes that a deep, irreparable trust crisis between Ravenberg and the SBB governing board has created a full administrative deadlock, making productive continuation of the employment relationship impossible to maintain. In response to the allegations, Ravenberg has pushed back aggressively, pushing a narrative that frames the termination attempt as a politically motivated purge rooted in past administration mistakes being pinned on him. Speaking to local outlet Starnieuws, the SBB director confirmed the existence of the parallel agreement, but insists the contract was finalized under the authority of former GBB Minister Dinotha Vorswijk. What is an error of the previous administration, he argues, is now being wrongfully blamed on him to push him out of the role. Ravenberg further claims the dismissal effort is driven by hidden political interests, alleging that three candidates have already been shortlisted to replace him. He calls the effort a conspiracy that serves personal and political agendas, noting that SBB’s own statutes work against the group pushing for his ouster. During a February 27 meeting with Soeropawiro, which was also attended by member of the National Assembly Bronto Somohardjo, Ravenberg made clear that he would not allow his reputation and professional integrity to be undermined, and that he is prepared to pursue legal action to defend his position if necessary. The director has provided the dismissal committee with a full account of the meeting, telling the body that his version of events contradicts the narrative put forward by the SBB board and the minister. For his part, Soeropawiro confirms that the meeting failed to resolve the existing conflict. Ravenberg was formally interviewed by the dismissal committee on Wednesday, with the committee announcing it will issue a final ruling on the minister’s termination request on June 5. The outcome of the case will have significant implications for governance of Suriname’s critical forestry sector, which forms a core part of the country’s economy and environmental policy.