Carib Scope

标签： Suriname

苏里南

  • Megan Lee wint 40e editie Rotary VOS Student Excellence Award

    Megan Lee wint 40e editie Rotary VOS Student Excellence Award

    On Tuesday evening, the Rotary Club of Paramaribo Central (RCPC) marked a major milestone for one of Suriname’s most prestigious youth recognition programs, hosting the 40th anniversary edition of the Rotary VOS Student Excellence Award (SEA) at Paramaribo’s Radisson Hotel. The annual award, designed to elevate and encourage emerging young talent across the country, crowned Megan Lee, a graduate of A.A. Hoogendoorn Atheneum, as this year’s winner.

    Lee captured the jury’s attention not only with her exceptional academic record but also with her deeply personal story of motivation and demonstrated commitment to community service. She shared that her mother’s ongoing illness became a driving force that pushed her to exceed expectations in every area of her life. Beyond her academic work, Lee has actively volunteered for World Cleanup Day to advance environmental action in her community, and balances her advocacy with competitive participation in basketball and kickboxing. Now, Lee has relocated to the Netherlands to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, guided by a powerful life motto: “If I can improve even one life, my work has been worth it.”

    The 2026 competition saw 22 emerging student leaders from across Suriname participate. All candidates delivered five-minute virtual presentations to a panel of Rotarian judges on July 25, where they showcased their academic achievements and community impact. Shanya Ramsewaksing from Kangoeroe Community School took second place, while D’Angelo Trusfull of Miranda Lyceum secured third position.

    Dirk Currie, Suriname’s Minister of Education, Science and Culture, attended the anniversary ceremony and extended public recognition to every participating student. He emphasized that the dedication, resilience, and achievement demonstrated by the award candidates form the critical foundation for Suriname’s future social and economic progress.

    First launched during the 1986-1987 academic year, the SEA program was created by RCPC specifically to honor young Surinamese students who excel both in the classroom and in community engagement. In an expansion of the program’s impact, RCPC added motivational workshops for final-year VWO and HAVO students across multiple districts starting in 2025, extending support to young learners throughout the entire academic year, not just during competition cycles.

    Looking back on four decades of the program, RCPC leadership expressed pride in its lasting legacy. Over 40 years, the SEA has recognized and motivated hundreds of young Surinamese people, equipping them to take on meaningful, active roles in national development and community life.

  • Jonge vrouw dodelijk aangereden aan Santopolderweg

    Jonge vrouw dodelijk aangereden aan Santopolderweg

    A tragic road accident in the Netherlands has claimed the life of a young pedestrian early on the morning of August 13, according to local law enforcement updates. The incident unfolded on Santopolderweg, where the woman was crossing the roadway when she was struck by a passenger vehicle during the driver’s overtaking maneuver.
    Preliminary investigations confirm that the collision happened on the right side of the driving lane, and the impact of the crash inflicted catastrophic, life-threatening injuries on the victim. Emergency responders confirmed that the woman died at the scene of the accident immediately following the collision.
    Authorized forensic officials have since recovered the victim’s body to conduct formal examinations as part of the ongoing inquiry into the crash. Local law enforcement has cordoned off the entire accident site to preserve evidence, and investigators are now working to piece together the full sequence of events that led to the fatal incident, including assessing driver action, road conditions and any contributing factors.

  • Prinses Margriet opent speciale zorgunit voor kwetsbare ouderen

    Prinses Margriet opent speciale zorgunit voor kwetsbare ouderen

    Across the Netherlands, aging populations and shifting care needs have put growing pressure on senior care facilities to expand specialized services for the most vulnerable elderly residents. This week, Prinses Margriet Senioren Resort is answering that demand with the launch of a brand-new Special Care Unit, designed specifically to meet the needs of older adults requiring more intensive, personalized support than standard senior care can provide.

    The new facility caters to three key groups of residents: people who are bedridden, patients recovering from injury or illness who need ongoing rehabilitation support, and individuals in the terminal stage of life who require palliative end-of-life care. To allow for flexible adjustment based on real-world experience, the unit will launch as a small-scale pilot with just three private rooms, connected directly to the facility’s central nursing station. Following a trial period, leaders plan to expand the unit incrementally based on feedback and outcomes.

    An official opening ceremony for the Special Care Unit is scheduled for this Friday. Resort leadership explains that the new service was developed to address unmet demand for specialized elder care in the region. The pilot design prioritizes two core goals: delivering the intensive clinical support residents need, while maintaining a warm, home-like environment that preserves quality of life. The direct connection between private rooms and the nursing station also allows care teams to respond quickly to patient needs at any time.

    A key innovation of the new unit is its standardized digital care record system, which is updated in real time for every resident. Each file tracks detailed information including individual care needs, ongoing treatment plans, clinical observations, and care agreements between staff, residents, and their families. This system ensures all members of the care team have immediate access to the most up-to-date patient information, which resort leaders say will improve both the continuity and safety of care for patients with complex, high-intensity needs.

    Unlike traditional intensive care settings that focus solely on clinical outcomes, the Prinses Margriet model puts equal emphasis on personal attention and individual dignity. “Our goal is to combine high-quality intensive care with warmth, one-on-one attention, and respect for every resident,” the resort’s management explained in a statement. “No matter if a resident is bedridden, recovering, or in the final stage of life, the person behind the care need always remains our central focus.”

    Beyond expanding immediate care options, the new unit also serves as a learning opportunity for the resort, as it builds expertise in specialized elder care. Facility leaders note that the growing population of frail elderly people requires not only skilled clinical care, but also a model that adapts to each resident’s unique personal and medical situation. For Prinses Margriet Senioren Resort, the launch of the Special Care Unit marks a key step forward in evolving its services to support older adults who can no longer meet their needs with standard senior care support.

  • Herinneringen aan Borger Breeveld

    Herinneringen aan Borger Breeveld

    Suriname’s cultural community is mourning the loss of one of its most beloved and versatile creative figures, Borger Breeveld, who passed away on August 10, 2026, in Amsterdam at the age of 82. Born in Paramaribo on July 20, 1944, Breeveld built a decades-long career spanning acting, filmmaking, music, and media, leaving an indelible mark on Suriname’s cultural landscape.

    A childhood friend and former classmate, Carlo Jadnanansing, shares intimate remembrances of Breeveld from their school days at the AMS, then located in the iconic building on Passiebloemstraat in the early 1960s. Though Breeveld was never counted among the most hardworking students academically, he quickly rose to become one of the most popular on campus — a reputation fueled by his natural talent for sports, singing, music, and effortless charisma. During school holiday camps, he would entertain fellow campers for hours, strumming his guitar to accompany upbeat traditional Surinamese folk tunes. Even in his youth, his knack for organization shone through: he independently planned and staged a full theater show at Thalia Theater, titled *One Night in Paradise*, during his time at AMS. The day after the sold-out performance, he slid into his school seat next to Jadnanansing and joked, exhausted: “Last night I spent a night in paradise. Now I’m back in hell!” When a curious Jadnanansing, faintly jealous of Breeveld’s widespread popularity especially among female peers, asked how he won over so many people, Breeveld gave him advice he never forgot: “You have to work on your popularity.”

    Rather than pursuing a career in academia, Breeveld chose to follow his passion for the creative arts, completing short, practice-focused training programs in film and camera work primarily in the Netherlands. During Suriname’s revolutionary era, he returned to his home country and served a term as spokesperson for then-president Bouterse, but politics never became the core of his professional life. Instead, his career was rooted in media and entertainment, most notably at STVS, Suriname’s national television broadcaster, where he hosted the popular current affairs program *Mmanten Taki*.

    Breeveld’s contributions to Surinamese cinema are unparalleled. In 2005, he co-founded the Suriname Film Academy Foundation with Pim de la Parra, an initiative focused on developing low-budget “minimal movies” that centered local Surinamese stories. De la Parra served as board chair, with Breeveld acting as secretary. Though their partnership eventually ended, Breeveld remained committed to mentoring emerging filmmakers, a legacy that countless young creatives have benefited from deeply. He also co-founded the Paramaribo Film Institute alongside de la Parra and director Arie Verkuijl.

    It is his leading role as Roy in the landmark Surinamese film *Wan Pipel* that cemented Breeveld’s place in Suriname’s national cultural memory. The film explores the complicated, star-crossed romance between Roy, a Creole man played by Breeveld, and Rubia, a Hindustani woman portrayed by Diana Gangaram-Panday. While the film was deemed a commercial failure in the Netherlands that ultimately led to de la Parra’s bankruptcy, it emerged as a massive cultural phenomenon in Suriname. It has been replayed countless times in theaters and on television, with generations of Surinamese able to recite its dialogue from memory. The iconic pairing of Roy and Rubia, known locally as the “Double R,” will remain forever etched into the collective cultural consciousness of the nation, Jadnanansing notes.

    Later in his career, Breeveld reconnected with Jadnanansing through a collaborative cabaret project adapted from Walther Donner’s book *Switi Sranan*. The pair, along with rapper Rappa, reworked the text for the stage, and the production premiered in 2019 at Het Park, with Breeveld and his brother Hans providing musical accompaniment. What many people do not know is that Breeveld was also a skilled guitarist. Jadnanansing recalls once asking him to perform *Mis’ Valo*, a bold folk track by Gudu Gudu Thijm — a request Breeveld initially turned down due to the song’s racy original lyrics. When Jadnanansing presented a lightly cleaned-up version for the show’s second performance in September 2019, Breeveld consulted his brother and, after careful consideration, performed the song with gentle hesitation.

    Shortly after the final *Switi Sranan* performance, Breeveld faced a serious health crisis. Initial prognoses were poor, but his fierce willpower — shaped by the religious faith his father, a pastor, had instilled in him from childhood — carried him through. Supported by medical equipment, his loving family, and close friends, he remained socially active in adjusted forms until his final days. His lifelong cheerful, upbeat temperament served him well through his long illness. One of his favorite songs, which he continued to sing right up to the end, was Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong’s classic *What a Wonderful World*.

    Today, Suriname says goodbye to one of its most multifaceted creative sons with heavy hearts. There is no question that Breeveld’s legacy will live on in the hearts of the Surinamese people for generations to come. Jadnanansing extends his deepest condolences to Breeveld’s family and loved ones, closing his tribute with a final wish: “May your soul find eternal peace, Borger.”

  • Hof van Justitie luidt noodklok over politieke ingreep

    Hof van Justitie luidt noodklok over politieke ingreep

    On August 11, the entire bench of Suriname’s Court of Justice issued a stark public warning to the country’s National Assembly (DNA), sounding the alarm over planned constitutional and legislative amendments that the judiciary says threaten the foundational independence of Suriname’s judicial branch and undermine the rule of law.

    The alarm comes in response to newly proposed amendments to three core pieces of Suriname’s legal framework: the national constitution, the Law on the Legal Position of the Judiciary, and the Regulation on the Organization and Composition of the Judicial Power (RIS). While the proponents of the changes have framed the reforms as an effort to strengthen the judicial organization, the Court of Justice rejects this claim outright in its official letter addressed to DNA Speaker Ashwin Adhin. Signed by all sitting judges, the document warns the proposals will result in a significant weakening of the constitutional role of the judiciary.

    The court outlines a series of critical flaws in the current draft of the reforms. First, it notes that the necessary alignment between the proposed constitutional changes and supporting implementing legislation under the RIS is entirely missing. This gap, the court argues, will create major delays and practical barriers to implementing any changes, and the dispute at hand is not merely a disagreement over minor policy details: it centers on provisions that directly threaten the constitutional standing and real-world independence of the entire judiciary. The court emphasizes that any legitimate constitutional amendment should permanently strengthen the judiciary’s independence, expertise, and overall quality – a standard the current proposal fails to meet by a wide margin.

    Contrary to framing that casts the judiciary as an opponent of reform, the court makes clear it has consistently supported constructive, collaborative change through years of consultations, congressional discussions, and back-and-forth correspondence. The judiciary itself has put forward its own proposals for constitutional and legal adjustments, which were previously discussed with President Jennifer Simons, and the court says it remains committed to dialogue rather than confrontation. However, it warns that the cumulative effect of the individual measures included in the current package adds up to a dangerous weakening of institutional checks and balances.

    “We do not oppose change,” the court wrote in its official letter. “But we oppose any development that weakens the constitutional position of the judiciary, and thus the entire rule of law.” The court has not ruled out taking formal action to protect judicial independence if the proposals move forward, stating it will take “appropriate measures” in the interest of safeguarding the branch’s autonomy.

    Beyond core constitutional concerns, the court has also pushed back on proposed changes to the structure of Suriname’s Public Prosecution Service (OM). Reform proponents have scrapped the existing framework of a College of Prosecutors-General in favor of a new governing Board of Directors, composed of the Prosecutor-General and between two to four Attorneys-General. Critically, the court is entirely excluded from the process of nominating, appointing, and removing these Attorneys-General, a change the judiciary says removes a key check on political interference.

    The court notes that the OM’s own proposal to reorganize its existing Management Team into a dedicated OM Council, with clear role divisions and portfolio responsibilities for different officials, has been completely sidelined by proponents. Additionally, the court’s own proposal for a rotation system for senior leadership roles – which would replace lifetime appointments for the Court President and Prosecutor-General with seven-year terms – has been gutted: reform proponents only apply the seven-year limit to the Prosecutor-General, dropping the limit for the court presidency. To guard against political interference, the court proposed that Attorneys-General should receive lifetime appointments after formal review and recommendation from the judiciary, a standard international practice for checks and balances, but this provision was also cut from the proposal.

    The reforms also create new questions around a proposed change to retirement ages: the bill lowers the retirement age to 60 for OM members and 65 for the Prosecutor-General, but does not extend the same change to sitting judges, who are part of the same judicial branch. The court says it cannot find any logical justification for this unequal treatment.

    Another major point of contention is the sidelining of judicial expertise in the drafting process. “Carefully developed proposals worked out with experienced experts have been set aside without any substantive consultation,” the court states. For example, a long-held plan to establish multi-judge panels in first-instance courts, which would enable critical specialization for judges to handle complex cases, has not been enshrined in law, leaving the reform dead in the water.

    The introduction of cassation proceedings (a process for reviewing lower court judgments) also lacks critical transitional rules, which the court says will immediately create legal uncertainty for ordinary citizens with ongoing cases. The provision allowing cassation in the public interest of upholding the law has also been entirely cut from the proposal. At the same time, qualification requirements for judges serving on Suriname’s highest court have been watered down: the existing requirement of 10 years of experience as a judge is eliminated, as is lifetime appointment, with reform proponents only requiring that candidates be 40 years old as a practicing jurist to serve on the highest appellate court. Finally, the proposed changes eliminate accumulated financial rights and benefits for both sitting and retired judges.

    In closing, the court expressed its hope that the national legislature will prioritize protecting Suriname’s democratic rule of law. “We trust that protecting the democratic rule of law and strengthening the constitutional position of the judiciary is also part of the mission of your Parliament, as the highest organ of the state,” the letter reads. Copies of the official letter have been distributed to the president, the minister of justice, professional associations for lawyers, notaries, bailiffs and court clerks, and the court staff union to raise broad awareness of the judiciary’s concerns.

  • Column: Kort dag

    Column: Kort dag

    The fifth edition of the Concacaf Nations League is just around the corner, with all preliminary preparations already finalized: group stage draws have been completed, group compositions set, and match dates officially confirmed. Suriname has been drawn into Group B of the competition’s top tier, League A, where they will compete against five other nations for a top-two finish that advances them to the next stage of the tournament.

    Two familiar opponents from recent FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds, El Salvador and Guatemala, are also in Group B, though El Salvador will not face Suriname in this phase of the competition. Based on Suriname’s recent performance in major international tournaments including the Gold Cup and the aforementioned World Cup qualifiers, the nation was not placed in the lowest tier of the competition – Group B also features Martinique, alongside former World Cup participants Honduras and Jamaica. Unlike traditional round-robin group formats, this tournament uses the Swiss system, meaning Suriname will not face every team in the group during the group stage.

    Suriname’s first three matches of the campaign are scheduled during the September 2026 FIFA international window, against Honduras, Martinique and Guatemala, respectively. The team’s opening fixture is an away match against Honduras set for September 29. Off the pitch, the Suriname Football Association (SVB) has recently completed two key organizational steps in professional fashion: unveiling the national team’s new kit and introducing its new head coach. Notably, the coach signed a long-term contract with the association, a move expected to bring stability to the program and create space to build a cohesive, competitive squad. If the team meets its initial targets, the long-term structure will give the side consistent opportunities to develop toward its ultimate long-term goals.

    However, a major unresolved issue hangs over Suriname’s campaign: a months-long passport eligibility dispute that has left several top professional players unwilling to represent the nation. The dispute centers on players born in the Netherlands with Surinamese heritage, who want to represent Suriname without having to renounce their Dutch citizenship. The four-month-long impasse has yet to be resolved, leaving major uncertainty over whether the national team will be able to call up these high-level players for the upcoming Nations League fixtures.

    Suriname authorities have reportedly drafted a legislative amendment to resolve the eligibility issue and clear the players to compete, but no detailed information about the proposal has been released to the public, leaving doubts about whether it will actually achieve the desired outcome. Compounding the urgency, just 46 days remain between now and Suriname’s first match, and the amendment still needs approval from Suriname’s national legislature. Lawmakers are scheduled to begin their month-long September recess imminently, leaving only 13 working days for the body to consider and pass the measure. While the recess is not a mandatory break and emergency legislation can technically be considered during the period, past practice shows that holding legislative sessions is extremely difficult at this time, as most lawmakers travel abroad for vacation. With time running extremely short, the clock is ticking for Suriname to resolve the eligibility issue ahead of its opening Nations League clash.

  • Parmessar wil duidelijk tijdpad voor resterende anti-witwasmaatregelen

    Parmessar wil duidelijk tijdpad voor resterende anti-witwasmaatregelen

    PARAMARIBO, Suriname – August 13 – Rabin Parmessar, leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP) parliamentary faction in Suriname, is pressing the ruling government to deliver a full, detailed breakdown of all outstanding legislative, regulatory and institutional actions the country must complete to strengthen its frameworks against money laundering and terrorist financing, calling for the document to be submitted in the very near term.

    Speaking during a public plenary session of the National Assembly (DNA) on Tuesday, Parmessar warned that Suriname cannot afford any delays in meeting binding international regulatory standards, and is calling for clear accountability: for every outstanding action item, he wants the responsible government body and mandatory completion deadline clearly spelled out.

    Parmessar stressed that currently, no unified, transparent overview of all pending work exists for legislators to track progress toward compliance. The required actions go far beyond draft laws awaiting DNA debate: they also include executive state decrees, ministerial orders and capacity-building upgrades for domestic regulatory institutions, all necessary to bring Suriname’s framework fully in line with global norms set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

    Suriname is a member of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), the regional body that monitors implementation of FATF standards covering anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorist financing (CTF) and counter-proliferation financing.

    The NDP leader acknowledged that Minister of Justice and Security Harish Monorath already shared general updates on ongoing work during recent national budget debates, and expressed gratitude for that information. But he argued that this high-level briefing is insufficient to allow effective parliamentary oversight of progress. Parmessar is calling for a structured document that lists every remaining action, its priority level, the responsible agency or ministry, and the required completion date.

    For the National Assembly, this clarity is non-negotiable: legislators need to know exactly which draft bills are pending, when they will be ready for debate, and the same level of detail for executive decrees and orders prepared by individual cabinet departments. “Who, what, when” is the simple summary of the information Parmessar is demanding from the administration.

    Parmessar also issued a stark warning about the potential consequences of slow progress, emphasizing that he remains deeply concerned about the current pace of implementation. He stressed that Suriname must avoid not only being placed on an international blacklist for weak AML/CTF controls, but also the lower-level designation of greylisting – a outcome that would still carry significant economic and reputational harm. “We cannot accept either of these outcomes,” he stated, noting that Suriname is in no position to absorb the economic damage that would come from delayed compliance. “I do not see the sense of urgency that this issue demands from the government,” Parmessar added. He pushed for the requested overview to be sent to parliament as soon as possible, particularly ahead of the upcoming legislative recess.

    Parmessar’s concern is rooted in Suriname’s ongoing compliance review process within CFATF. In the body’s 2024 second Enhanced Follow-Up Report, CFATF confirmed that Suriname had made substantial progress since its previous evaluation, with the country re-assessed on nine core FATF recommendations. At that time, Suriname was rated compliant or largely compliant on 21 out of 40 total FATF recommendations.

    Suriname’s national Anti-Money Laundering Project Implementation Unit (AML-PIU) has confirmed that multiple government agencies are involved in strengthening the national AML/CTF framework, including the Suriname Financial Intelligence Unit, the Central Bank of Suriname, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Suriname Police Corps, the national Gaming Board, and multiple cabinet ministries.

    Parmessar argues that tracking these separate efforts in isolation is ineffective, and called for all outstanding actions to be consolidated into a single public timeline that the National Assembly can use for ongoing oversight. He stressed that this issue transcends partisan divides between the ruling coalition and the opposition, saying: “This is not a political game – government and parliament must work together to speed up progress to ensure Suriname meets all international requirements.”

    To underscore the gravity of the situation, Parmessar told legislators: “Sometimes when I think about how much is left to do, I get short of breath.” He reiterated his request that the government send the full compliance overview to DNA as soon as possible, so that legislators and the executive can jointly review all outstanding actions and agree on binding deadlines for completion.

  • KPS versterkt misdaadanalyse met Amerikaanse ondersteuning

    KPS versterkt misdaadanalyse met Amerikaanse ondersteuning

    On August 12, a five-day specialized data analysis training program for the Korps Politie Suriname (KPS) concluded with a certificate ceremony, marking a key milestone in the South American nation’s transition to modern, data-centered law enforcement. Developed to address gaps in how the Suriname Police Force collects and interprets crime data, the initiative aims to help officers deploy limited resources more strategically and target crime-fighting efforts more effectively.

    The training was delivered through a partnership between the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) under the U.S. Department of State, the Pan American Development Foundation, and the U.S. Embassy in Suriname. Participants included criminal intelligence analysts from KPS’s Criminal Information Service, alongside the force’s information and communications technology staff.

    Over the course of the program, attendees built practical skills in core tools including Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets, alongside learning standardized practices for data validation and data visualization. The curriculum is designed to not only improve the accuracy of crime information recording but also enable systematic, repeatable analysis of emerging criminal trends.

    According to a statement from the U.S. Embassy, upgrading KPS’s capacity for crime data collection, management, and analysis will empower police leadership to make more informed, evidence-based operational decisions. Enhanced data capabilities will also allow the force to allocate personnel and equipment to high-need areas more precisely, and track shifting crime patterns in real time. This aligns with the global shift toward data-driven policing, where decisions about patrol deployment, surveillance coverage, and anti-crime initiatives are shaped by empirical data rather than anecdotal observation.

    The closing certificate ceremony was attended by senior officials including U.S. Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Paul Watzlavick, Suriname’s Minister of Justice and Security Harish Monorath, and KPS Chief Melvin Pinas. This training is part of the broader Better Police Readiness in Caribbean Law Enforcement Organizations project, a regional initiative focused on supporting law enforcement agencies across the Caribbean to transition to modern, data-centric institutional structures that prioritize evidence-based decision-making.

    U.S. officials noted that the support initiative forms part of Washington’s broader commitment to strengthening law enforcement capacity across the Caribbean and improving public safety outcomes for local communities. The partnership reflects ongoing security cooperation between the United States and Caribbean nations to address shared transnational and domestic security challenges through capacity building and institutional modernization.

  • OKGS treedt op tegen illegale goudwinning in Brownsberg Natuurpark

    OKGS treedt op tegen illegale goudwinning in Brownsberg Natuurpark

    Suriname’s regulatory body for the small-scale gold sector has taken decisive action against unauthorized mining operations inside a protected national nature reserve, seizing mining equipment and ordering illegal prospectors to leave the ecologically sensitive area.

    The Commission for the Ordering of the Small-Scale Gold Sector (OKGS) launched an inspection of Brownsberg Nature Park on Tuesday this week, following confirmed reports of unpermitted gold extraction activity at multiple sites across the protected territory. Managed by the Suriname Nature Conservation Foundation (STINASU), Brownsberg Nature Park is one of the country’s key protected ecological areas, home to unique biodiversity and fragile ecosystems that are highly vulnerable to the destructive impact of unregulated mining.

    During the inspection, OKGS teams discovered stockpiles of gold mining equipment near the Irenevallen waterfall, which were immediately seized as evidence. All illegal miners found on site were formally ordered to evacuate the protected zone immediately. The inspection also included working discussions with STINASU to clarify the formal boundary line of the protected area, a step designed to eliminate ambiguity around zones where all gold extraction activities are permanently prohibited.

    OKGS was established specifically to improve governance of Suriname’s growing small-scale gold mining sector, with a multi-pronged mandate that includes addressing widespread environmental degradation, cracking down on unlicensed activity and associated criminal networks, regulating financial flows within the sector, and ensuring the Surinamese state captures a fair share of revenue from gold production and export. The commission operates in close coordination with a range of national and local stakeholders, including the Ministries of Justice and Security, Defense, and Natural Resources, STINASU, traditional community leaders, and district commissioners, with participating partners adjusted based on the specific region of operations.

    As part of its broader sector reform push, OKGS launched a six-month pilot registration program for all individuals working in or connected to the small-scale gold sector in early July. The soft launch of the registration scheme is rolling out across multiple mining regions over the half-year pilot period. Miners seeking formal registration can also submit applications directly at the OKGS headquarters located at 181 Mr. Jagernath Lachmonstraat. Officials confirmed that follow-up inspections of the Brownsberg area will be conducted in the near future to ensure no illegal mining activity resumes, as part of ongoing efforts to bring structured regulation to the small-scale gold sector and protect Suriname’s critical natural protected areas.

  • Beveiliger beschoten bij Royal Hill, ZiJin/RGM meldt reeks gewelddadige aanvallen

    Beveiliger beschoten bij Royal Hill, ZiJin/RGM meldt reeks gewelddadige aanvallen

    On August 9 at approximately 10:10 p.m. local time, a shooting incident targeting security staff at Zijin Rosebel Gold Mines (ZiJin/RGM) left one guard injured in the Royal Hill concession area of the company’s Surinamese operations, marking the most serious event in a growing string of violent attacks by unauthorized intruders on mine personnel. The injured guard was shot from the surrounding forest while conducting a routine patrol, hit by six lead pellets in his lower left leg. After receiving initial on-site first aid at the mine, he was transferred to the emergency department of the Academic Hospital Paramaribo, where he remains under ongoing care. Company representatives confirmed that the mine’s management is closely monitoring the guard’s condition and providing all necessary support for his treatment and recovery.

    This shooting is not an isolated incident, ZiJin/RGM emphasized. Just one week earlier, on August 2, a second security officer was attacked with stones thrown by unauthorized intruders, losing a tooth in the assault. Mine patrol teams assigned to monitor open pit areas have also faced repeated stone-throwing attacks over recent weeks. These consecutive events have created escalating safety risks for the mine’s security personnel, who are tasked with maintaining order and safety across the concession. The company called the August 9 shooting the most severe violent confrontation recorded in the area in recent months.

    All incidents have been formally reported to Surinamese law enforcement authorities. ZiJin/RGM has called on local officials to launch a prompt, thorough investigation to identify the perpetrators and hold them legally accountable for the attacks. Beyond the investigation, the mining firm is pushing for strengthened, authority-led patrols across the concession, alongside what it describes as “lawful, necessary and proportional measures” to protect human life and preserve public order in the active mining region.

    ZiJin/RGM reaffirmed that it operates legally within its granted concession boundaries, and noted that all its security personnel operate under a formal code of conduct centered on restraint, de-escalation and non-violent response to incursions. The company confirmed that despite repeated attacks, security teams have maintained this restrained approach to all interactions with intruders. The mine also highlighted the inherent extreme dangers of unauthorized presence in active mining zones: open pit mining operations carry severe inherent safety hazards, so the company enforces measures to prevent unauthorized entry to protect all people in and around the concession. This commitment to safety, the firm noted, extends to all groups: its own employees, contract workers, neighboring community residents, and artisanal small-scale gold prospectors alike.

    “No person working to maintain safety and order should be subjected to gunfire, stone attacks, or any other form of violence,” a company spokesperson stated. “Every worker has the right to return home safely at the end of their shift.”