Former Suriname President Bouterse dies

Last Updated on Thursday, 26 December 2024, 10:43 by Writer

Former Suriname President, Dési Bouterse, who was convicted for the 1982 killings of several opponents during his military regime, died on Monday at his hiding place in Suriname, media reports say. He 79 years old.

De Ware Tijd newspaper reported that Bouterse’s body had been moved to a funeral home in Paramaribo.

News of his death had caused many persons to gather outside his residence and his party’s headquarters.

A year ago, he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the killing of 15 opponents.

Bouterse led a bloodless coup from 1982 to 1987. The ex-military strongman returned to office as President through elections in July 2010.

While in opposition and as elected President, Bouterse had visited Guyana several times.

Bouterse and his National Democratic Party (NDP) had enjoyed a close working relationship with Guyana’s main opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) to the extent that both opposition parties had in 2004 agreed to work together for the resolution of the border dispute and jointly benefit from their resources.

The United States government, in a leaked diplomatic cable dated June 23, 2006, states that Bouterse had also received support from Guyanese Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan who had been convicted and jailed for drug trafficking in a New York court.

Khan, considered then as a major drug lord, was arrested on June 15, 2006, in Suriname where he fled to escape a massive manhunt by Guyanese police and soldiers. In days running up to his arrest, Khan had claimed that he had helped stave off a coup against the then Bharrat Jagdeo-led administration.

Bouterse’s lawyer had represented Khan in Suriname shortly after his arrest.