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| As you can see in this photo, SLA fighters tend to be armed at best with shot guns. However in one clash with the government, they somehow manged to shoot down a government helicopter. |
The Suriname Liberation Army (SLA or known as Jungle Commandos) were descendent of the Maroon communities covered in an earlier post. In 1989, several rebels captured key hydroelectric dams from the Suriname military government and threatened to flood the capital if the government did not give in to their demands. Suriname Government forces began a crackdown on the Jungle Commandos. Since several Maroon populations supported the Jungle Commandos, the government started to execute Maroon civilians. At least 300 civilians are killed, with thousands fled to the neighboring French Guinea. In 1991, talks started to occur between the Jungle Commandos. For exchange for the rebels to disarm, the military government stepped down. A new civilian government took its place.
