Amsterdam City Council has announced that it will not take part in any new joint projects with Suriname. The move has been prompted by the accession of Desi Bouterse as Surinamese president.

In 1999, Mr Bouterse was given an 11-year prison term in absentia by a Dutch court for drugs trafficking. He also faces prosecution at home for killings carried out while he led Surname’s military regime which came to power in a coup in 1980 - the former Dutch colony had become independent in 1975. This July, Mr Bouterse won the backing of a majority in the Surinamese parliament and was voted head of state.

No visits
Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan and senior council officials will also not be travelling on work visits to Suriname for the time being and Surinamese officials will not be welcome on council business in the Dutch capital. Amsterdam Council stresses that it attaches major importance to links with most in the Surinamese community, who “well remember what happened in the 1980s”.

Last week, Amsterdam announced it would be reviewing around 30 aid projects in Suriname because of the new president. The council said, however, that a number of projects involving humanitarian aspects of public health in Suriname were not in jeopardy. Projects run independently of the Surinamese government will also remain unaffected.

Amsterdam has supported some 70 projects in Suriname since 2002.

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