Suriname, the only Dutch-speaking country in South America, was colonized by various European nations, with the Dutch seizing plantations during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The Treaty of Breda in 1667 established Dutch control over the region. Over the next 300 years, Suriname developed a diverse society as settlers, slaves, and contract workers from Africa, Indonesia, India, China, and Europe arrived, coexisting peacefully. In 1975, Suriname gained independence from the Netherlands as part of a decolonization effort. However, bureaucratic mismanagement by the democratic government led to widespread disillusionment, culminating in a military coup by discontented NCOs in 1980. Initially popular, the military council soon imposed harsh rule, suppressing dissent and facing several counter-coups. The murder of 15 dissidents in December 1982 marked a dark period in Surinamese history, resulting in the suspension of Dutch development aid and a turn to the narcotics trade for income. Simultaneously, the oppression of the Marrons, descendants of escaped slaves, sparked the Jungle Commando rebel movement, backed by exiled dissidents. This conflict escalated into a six-year war beginning in 1986, causing hundreds of deaths, widespread destruction, and thousands of refugees. The war concluded with the Peace Accord of Kourou in 1992, restoring democracy in Suriname.
