Suriname Coup SITREP 5: Recorded Radio Broadcast

CONFIDENTIAL
U.S. Department of State
Case No. F-2012-32744
Doc No. C06033899
Date: 02/22/2017

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E.O. 12065: GDS 3/11/88 (LaRoche, Richard R.) OR-M
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SUBJECT: Suriname Coup Sitrep 5: Recorded Radio Broadcast

REF: PARAMARIBO 0450

  1. C-Entire Text.
  2. At approximately 1645 local a recorded announcement was broadcast over government radio (SRS) in which person introduced as Lt. Col. Bouterse said he was speaking as head of military authority which was now housed at Fort Zeelandia.
  3. ‘Bouterse’ summoned military members at main barracks (Memre Boekoe) to report to Fort Zeelandia, which had been ‘recaptured,’ and appealed to all military not to support the ‘wild actions of Rambocus and Hawker.’ The speaker said that in addition to Fort Zeelandia, the national army had under control military posts at Albina and Nieuw Nickerie as well as Paramaribo’s navy installation and the airport at Zanderij. He said that all top military leaders (Garrison Commander Horb, Battalion Commander Fernandes, Army and Police Minister) were at Fort Zeelandia. According to the speaker, also present were several army members who had ‘falsely’ been identified as among the coup makers. He named specifically Neede, Goree, Mijnals, Rosendal, and Bagwandas.
  4. Speaker said police remained under full control of Commissioner Vrij, who was awaiting instructions from military authority.
  5. Final appeal was to People’s Committees to keep calm and to pass the broadcast message as widely as possible. Entire message was being repeated at intervals.
  6. At 1815 local time television station came on air with brief taped film of Bouterse which carried same message as above and in which Horb, Neede, Fernandes, Graanoogst, Goree, Sital, and Mijnals were shown. We do not know when film was taped.
  7. Inspector Vrij, contacted at home at 1830, said information in radio broadcast was correct and that he had spoken with Bouterse himself at Fort Zeelandia a short while earlier. He was unwilling to add details but said he expected it would be a “hot night.”
  8. Comment: We have no information from Nickerie or Albina, and nothing new on identity of troops in control of navy base. As of 1700 local, Zanderij had some army present but civilian airport director who had spoken with them said they had no special instructions. Memre Boekoe has been quiet since the morning shooting and remains cordoned off. We do not know for sure the identity of troops in control there, but believe them to be under command of coup makers.
  9. Commissioner Vrij’s confirmation of essence of ‘Bouterse’ message is puzzling since message mentions Vrij as ‘standing by’ for instructions, yet through the day different reports pointed to Vrij’s involvement on side of coup makers. (Vrij has consistently denied such involvement.) Vrij is being very cautious in conversations with us; we will have to be cautious with his information.

LA ROCHE

Review Authority: Leonard Kusnitz, Senior Reviewer

CONFIDENTIAL
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