Guyana and Suriname, plagued by piracy and other cross-border crimes, on Friday agreed to a number of measures including the setting up a of a Border Security Committee.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between President Donald Ramotar and his Surinamese counterpart, Desi Bouterse in Paramaribo.
A joint communique on thee Guyanese leader’s working visit said the two Presidents agreed that the Border Security Committee would be a “direct mechanism for information sharing and monitoring so as to deal with this matter in all its aspects.”
The leaders of the two South American countries, noting the “serious threat” that cross-border crimes pose to their national security, agreed to fully implement several recommendations. Those recommendations were made by Guyanese and Surinamese security agencies during the 1st Presidential Security and Intelligence Exchange Meeting held on April 29-30, 2011 in Guyana. The second round of consultations is slated for March, 2012.
No mention was made of regularising Guyana’s back-track route at Skeldon where people leave and enter illegally on a daily basis. Guns, ammunition, drugs and uncustomed goods also move freely between the two countries.
Ramotar and Bouterse, according to their communique, have agreed that fishing vessels would have to abide by a raft of rules to help counter piracy. They instructed their institutions dealing with fisheries to adopt measures regarding security requirements for fishing vessels and fishermen,” they said.
They noted that robberies at sea are posing a challenge for the fishing industries of both countries.
Speaking with www.demwaves.com, Agriculture Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said he did not immediately have the details of discussions between the two presidents but he was aware that the countries have been discussing the need for closer cooperation between their Coast Guards. He said fishermen would also very soon be required to submit their manifests to district police stations and the Maritime Administration so that authorities would at all times know who are legitimately at sea.
Guyana’s delegation included Polic Chief of Criminal Investigations, Assistant Commissioner, Seelall Persaud and Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Lieutenant Colonel, Omar Khan. Others were Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues; Director General of the Foreign Ministry, Elisabeth Harper; Ambassador to Suriname, Merlin Udo and Ambassador-designate, Keith George.
GDF sources have told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com) that the battle against piracy is being hamstrung by the inability of the Guyanese Coast Guard to patrol to enter the Corentyne River. The Coast Guard also does not have appropriate vessels, according to the sources, to go after pirates who often use faster boats.
