Suriname tribal leaders demand recognition

(De Ware Tijd)  – Last weekend’s gold conference at Snesikondre near Langatabiki was nearly overshadowed by discussions about the recognition of the land rights of tribal communities in the hinterland. Several of the conference’s participants freely expressed their opinions and criticisms and have the impression that solving the land rights issue is not a priority of the government. On February 16 and 17, the traditional leaders of the Indigenous and Marron tribes held a meeting with the local community at Langatabiki. They then drafted a formal statement of their position on the legal recognition of the traditional tribal leadership, as well as on possible agreements between the government and multinationals that want to operate in their traditional territories. The statement was read by Adriaan Adawde on behalf of the leaders. It calls on the government to inform the traditional leadership about upcoming negotiations and possible agreements with multinationals. Besides this, the historic and traditional rights of the hinterland’s communities should be recognized before any agreement is signed, while the statement also calls for “the legal recognition of the traditional leadership and not to allow this leadership to be undermined”.