Suriname’s seizing of a sugar transport boat just off the Skeldon wharf earlier this week underlines the fractious state of border relations between the two Caricom states. Its use of military force to convey the MV Lady Chandra 1 to Nickerie must be roundly condemned as another gross violation of the normative standards of conduct between friendly states, moreso two under the umbrella of Caricom and bound by the Treaty of Chaguaramas.
Coming just days after it was announced by CGX that its seismic explorer was once again in the zone of original dispute between Georgetown and Paramaribo refining data, it will be exceedingly hard to dissuade the average Guyanese from the notion that Suriname is flexing its muscle and trying to undermine oil exploration in Guyana’s waters.
Apparently unmoved by the verdict of the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) which ruled that its military-backed eviction of the CGX rig from Guyana’s waters in June 2000 was wholly unacceptable, Paramaribo seems bent on destabilizing cross-border relations.
In an interview with Stabroek News on Friday while returning to Port Georgetown from his detention in Nickerie, the captain of the MV Lady Chandra 1 Mr Arnold Garraway related that he had been undertaking this particular journey to Skeldon for the last 13 years and had never before been detained. As experienced a captain as he is it is quite unlikely he would have veered from his established route. His manoeuvring towards the Skeldon wharf could hardly have encroached upon Suriname’s waters to the extent that several soldier-filled boats would surround his vessel and order it to Nickerie where he was detained in the most deplorable conditions.
Suriname’s flagrant intransigence in this matter does not excuse Takuba Lodge from some blame for this state of affairs. In the aftermath of the 2007 ITLOS ruling in favour of Guyana it was evident that Suriname had to be engaged intensively to address areas of concern that exist between the two sides as it relates to the Corentyne River.
Longstanding issues of sovereignty over the river cannot occlude the fact that large numbers of Guyanese utilize it for legitimate commerce on a daily basis and have an inherent right to do this without hindrance or interference by Paramaribo. The transportation of sugar from the expanded Skeldon sugar estate for export is as vital a task as any in the context of the Guyana economy and cannot be jeopardized.
There is no evidence that Georgetown has effectively engaged Paramaribo on these issues and this laissez faire attitude has compounded a toxic mix of problems including illegal migration, smuggling and piracy which have worsened relations across the Corentyne and shortened fuses.
In light of the seizure of the vessel and the prospect that the situation can further unravel, it is in the interest of both sides that diplomatic efforts be intensified. Despite the fruitless initiatives of Caricom in mediating the June 2000 crisis resulting in a seven-year interruption of Guyana’s oil exploration efforts we must continue to look to the regional integration movement to nurture harmonious relations between its members during periods of friction. We therefore urge Caricom Secretary-General Mr Edwin Carrington to employ his best efforts towards assuaging the concerns that Guyana has in relation to its user rights to the Corentyne River and to engage with Suriname on this matter.
As was the case with ITLOS, Paramaribo must be aware that Georgetown has a series of options which can be pursued but that both sides would naturally prefer one that enhances good neighbourly relations.
