Suriname Situation Report #3 – 13 December 1986

As of 0700 hours, 13 December 1986

Surinamese Developments – Domestic

Press reports of 15,000 people attending a government-organized rally in Paramaribo yesterday appear to be exaggerated. Embassy reporting indicates the turnout was probably closer to several hundred. According to the Embassy, the rally was held in a small square, probably to make the turnout seem larger than it was. The Ambassador reports there were only about a hundred vocal pro-Bouterse supporters, and that given the pre-rally publicity, the turnout was unimpressive.

  • At the rally, Bouterse admitted civilians had been killed in an Army offensive in the east, but said local inhabitants had been warned to leave the area. He gave no estimates of casualties. Bouterse said the Netherlands was “hypocritical” in denouncing civilian deaths when support for the “terrorists” is being organized from Dutch territory.
  • The military may not be completely convinced of an imminent invasion threat from the French.

[CENSORED]

The Ambassador reports that leaders of Suriname’s traditional political parties seem jubilant over the role they played in encouraging Bouterse to announce an elections timetable. The Ambassador, however, does not share the party leaders’ enthusiasm.

  • The Ambassador commented that his meeting with party leaders had an air of sad unreality. Bouterse’s timetable in fact lengthens his original schedule for restoring democracy by a year, while providing him with greater legitimacy through the clear public support of the three parties.

Our Embassy has also recently updated consular records on the numbers and locations of American, Canadian, and British citizens in Suriname.

  • Confirmed numbers: 204 private Americans and 35 official Americans, 18 Canadians, 31 British.
  • Registered but unable to contact: 66 Americans, 37 Canadians, and 8 British. Embassy estimates that at any given time there are 10 transit tourists or officials in the country.
  • According to the Embassy, nearly all of these people are located in Paramaribo. About five people are still in the Moengo area and two people are in the Raleigh Falls area.

On the economic front, Suralco, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alcoa, appears prepared to prop up at least temporarily the bauxite industry, which accounts for 80 percent of Suriname’s export earnings. Because of hostilities near Moengo, site of Suralco’s mining operations, mining has ceased. It had been estimated that only a two-week supply of ore remained at Suralco’s refinery in Paramaribo.

  • According to Embassy reporting, Suralco intends to import ore to maintain its markets, but expects concessionary import duties from the government, and wants to take the 500–600 miners who are now unemployed off its payroll.

[CENSORED]

Foreign Developments

The Surinamese government continues to try to build international support by dispatching high-level emissaries to world capitals.

  • Chief of Cabinet Heidweiller is next due to visit Brasilia.
  • Suriname has not yet requested a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss French invasion plans.

Other Developments

The French newspaper Le Monde reported in its December 12 edition that France is following a policy of “strict neutrality” in the Surinamese civil war and that there were no plans to involve French troops there. A Quai official made the same points to our Embassy in Paris and indicated French reinforcements along the border with Suriname are only to control the flood of refugees into French Guiana.

Source:

CIA-RDP91B00874R000200250004-0

Link:

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP91B00874R000200250004-0.pdf

Internal Link:

https://surinamepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Talking-Points-on-Suriname-for-DDCI-and-DDI-1986-CIA-RDP91B00874R000200250004-0.pdf

Date:
December 13, 1986
Categories:
Desi Bouterse, Planned Suriname Invasion
Tags:
CIA, Invasion
Boxes:
CIA-RDP91B00874R
Years:
1986
Persons:
Desi Bouterse
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