Suriname President Desi Bouterse has told that country’s National Assem-bly that the New River Triangle (Tigri) issue will be placed “back on the agenda” as he had no choice but to do so, online media outfit de Ware Tijd has reported.
According to de Ware Tijd, Bouterse made the announcement on Wednes-day, referring to various international conflicts and developments that threaten the sovereignty of different countries in the world.
The report posted online by de Ware Tijd stated that this is the first time after many years that government seemed to want to give serious attention to the issue. It stated that the last serious attempt to resolve it “and other border issues with Guyana” was in 1998.
The report was referring to the Corentyne Licence granted to CGX Resources Inc in June 1998 and the subsequent aggression by Suriname in 2000, when its gunboats forced the CGX rig out of Guyana’s waters. However, Guyana hds later, after attempts at dialogue failed, successfully approached International Law of the Sea (ITLOS) tribunal, which ruled largely in Guyana’s favour in 2007.
The news report stated that Bouterse told the National Assembly that the border controversy between Venezuela and Guyana had flared up again, implying that Suriname will scrupulously follow.
In December 1967 and August 1969, Guyana undertook two major police and military operations to defend the New River zone on the border with Suriname.
Last year May, it was reported by de Ware Tijd that the Surinamese government was again making claims to the New River area, which that country calls Tigri. That came weeks after then natural resources minister Robert Persaud had rejected an invitation for Guyana to take part in Suriname’s first ever oil and gas conference in objection to a Suriname map which depicted New River as that country’s territory.
Within the past two weeks Guyana has raised objections and concerns with the United Nations following a buildup of troops near the Guyana/ Venezuela border and armed boats in the Cuyuni River which falls within Guyana’s territory.
Tensions began escalating earlier this year after Venezuela Presi-dent Nicolás Maduro issued a decree laying claim to a vast section of Guyana’s maritime territory inclusive of an area where a significant amount of oil had been found. Following a meeting hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday between Maduro and President David Granger, Venezuela agreed to withdraw its troops. Guyana will pursue a judicial settlement in this matter.
