Guyana condemns Suriname’s failure to grant licenses to local fishermen

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: INews Guyana
Guyanese President Dr Irfaan Ali and Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi [File Photo]

STATEMENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF GUYANA

The Government of Guyana condemns, in its strongest possible terms, the most recent harassment being meted out to our Guyanese fisherfolk by the Surinamese government, inclusive of its failure to grant licenses to our fishermen in keeping with a commitment made to His Excellency, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana on 26 November 2020, during a visit to Suriname.

During that visit, the Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha, Minister of Agriculture of Guyana, met with Hon. Parmanand Sewdien, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Suriname and requested the issuance of 150 SK licences which will allow Guyanese fishermen to ply their trade in Suriname Ocean waters.

Minister Mustapha recalled the earlier discussions between their Excellencies President Ali and the President of the Republic Suriname, Chandrikapersaud Santokhi, that there should be an agreement on the issuance of the number of licenses requested by Guyana.

Minister Sewdien also indicated that his government would form a company that will deal with the issuing of licences to the Guyanese fishermen.

At the last meeting of President Ali and President Santokhi in Georgetown, it was agreed that by 1 January 2022, arrangements would have been put in place to facilitate the issuance of the 150 SK licences to Guyanese fishermen.

Taking into account this decision, the Minister of Agriculture of Guyana communicated the names of the persons interested in being issued licenses via a letter dated 16 November 2021 to his Surinamese counterpart.

To date, the Government of Guyana has not been advised on the status of the establishment of the company referred to, nor on the issuances of the licenses.

In the absence of the issuance of these licences, our fisherfolk continue to face harassment at the hands of the Surinamese authorities, including fishing vessels that are stranded in Suriname and cannot return to Guyana for fear of losing their licences.

The Government of Guyana, therefore, calls on the Government of Suriname to not renege in its commitment and to make known the current position of the issuance of the licences.

End.

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Strong winds cause damages to houses at Bareroot, Dazzel Housing Scheme

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: INews Guyana
Some of the damages caused by strong winds at Bareroot and Dazzel Housing Scheme, ECD [Guyana Police Force photos]

Strong winds today caused major damages to several houses located at Bareroot and Dazzel Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

In the aftermath of the damage done to several homes, police ranks within Regional Division 4 ‘C’ visited the affected communities and residents.

Sergeant Robin, Detective Corporal Liverpool along with a party of police ranks went to the back of Dazzel Housing Scheme, ECD, where the roofs of several houses between Eighteenth and Twentieth Streets were detached due to heavy winds. There, the police ranks met with several persons who suffered losses.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Wellington and a party of police ranks visited Bareroot and spoke with the affected residents.

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Grieving Relative Urges End To Violence, Warns ‘All Bad Man’ They Will End Up Dead – St. Lucia Times News

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: St. Lucia Times News

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A male relative of the second victim who died after last week’s shooting on Chaussee Road, Castries, has appealed for an end to violent crime, warning that ‘all bad man’ will eventually end up in the Choc cemetery.

Police said twenty-seven-year-old Mergatette Joseph succumbed on Friday.

Family members referred to the deceased as Bolom.

“Today you all kill Bolom, tomorrow it going to be your turn. It going to reach on you too. You can’t sleep. You have to be turning your back every day to see who coming,” one of the deceased’s cousins declared.

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“Messieurs put down the guns. Stop the killing because all of you all now all bad man where you seeing them? They lying down at Choc (cemetery) watching plane belly when it taking off,” the cousin, who spoke on anonymity asserted.

The relative described the deceased as fun-loving and jovial.

And he disclosed that the death was a hard blow to the family.

According to the cousin, three bullets hit Joseph, including one to the head.

“We were expecting him to really pull through. But when we saw from what his uncle and auntie told me the way they saw him he wasn’t responding,” he recalled.

In appealing for an end to the gun violence that has been plaguing Saint Lucia, the cousin advised people to find other means of settling whatever disputes they may have.

“What I would like to say to the fellas outside there, killing people brothers, fathers, uncles – messieurs that ain’t playing no role. Put down the guns, please. That not making no sense,” he stated.

Headline photo: Deceased shooting victim

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