President Jennifer Simons wants to prevent Suriname’s interior from being used by aircraft possibly involved in drug transport. During her annual address, she stressed that better oversight, reliable information and a clear border policy are necessary to maintain control over the territory.
President Jennifer Simons made it clear during her annual address that she does not want drug planes in Suriname’s interior. According to the head of state, she has information about small aircraft landing in the interior and then departing again. According to her, it is necessary for the government to gain better insight into such activities.
Simons said she had received information about aircraft that were said to land at various locations in the interior. Information would also be available about the destinations to which some aircraft subsequently fly. During her speech, the president did not disclose exactly which locations, aircraft or countries were involved.
According to the head of state, what is especially important is that Surinamese territory is not used for activities that may be linked to the international drug trade. “I do not want drug planes in the interior,” Simons stated. She indicated that she had also conveyed this position directly to representatives of a friendly nation.
Drug planes in the interior not accepted
For Simons, the aircraft’s final destination is not the most important issue. According to her, the central question is what happens on Surinamese territory. “I do not want them here,” she stressed during her annual address.
According to the president, the statements expose a broader problem. The government does not yet have sufficient information everywhere about what is taking place in the vast interior. According to her, this complicates the development of structured policy and timely action against illegal activities.
Greater insight into activities in the interior
Suriname has a large and, for the most part, sparsely populated interior. The vast distances and limited infrastructure make oversight in some areas complicated. Small aircraft also play an important role in the legal transport of people and goods to hard-to-reach communities. Simons’ remarks therefore specifically concern aircraft and flights that may be used for illegal activities.
The president linked the issue to the need for the government to better know what is happening in the interior. Without reliable information, it is difficult, according to her, to develop policy, exercise oversight and act in a targeted manner when the law is violated.
“I do not want drug planes in the interior.”
Simons wants stronger oversight of Surinamese territory
During her speech, Simons also drew a parallel with the gold sector. There, too, more structure and control are needed, according to her. According to the head of state, the government must prevent situations from continuing for years and only being addressed once the consequences have become serious.
This means that various government services must have sufficient information about activities in hard-to-reach areas. This does not concern only possible drug flights, but more broadly the control of land use, natural resources, transport links and border areas.
Border policy must be strengthened
According to Simons, Suriname must be “in control” of its own territory. Better border policy is an important part of this, according to her. The president linked this to better information provision and stronger oversight, so that authorities can determine earlier when suspicious activities are taking place.
Addressing cross-border organised crime also requires cooperation between different services and countries. Suriname is located between Guyana and French Guiana and borders Brazil to the south. The vast forest area and rivers make monitoring the entire border area a complex task.
International fight against drug trafficking
Addressing illegal drug trafficking is not solely a Surinamese matter. International organisations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime support countries in combating cross-border organised crime and drug trafficking.
Within Suriname as well, tackling drug-related crime remains a recurring security issue. Earlier reporting on security and crime can be found at Key News Suriname.
Simons’ statements during the annual address make clear that her government wants to gain greater control over what is taking place outside urban areas and in border zones. How the announced improved oversight and border policy will be implemented in practice, and what resources will be made available for this, will have to emerge from the further elaboration of government policy.
