-Paramaribo may seek assistance from Guyana in finding missing men

Sources in Suriname has confirmed a body , likely to be that of one of 16 missing fisherman, was discovered in the Wia Wia Bank area earlier on Wednesday , close to where pirates attacked four fishing boats on Friday last.

The body was discovered some 30 miles from Zorg-en-Hoop by an airline pilot attached to Suriname domestic carrier , Gumair Airlines.The identity of the individual is being ascertained.

According to Guyana Chronicle’s source in Suriname , the search was conducted privately by the airline to help the relatives of victims find their missing loved ones in what has been described as the most gruesome and largest pirate attack within recent times.

De Ware Tijd newspaper reported that Jerry Slijnagard , Director of the National Coordination Center for Disaster Management in Suriname reported that assistance from Guyana is now being considered.

He said too that the Suriname authorities have contacted their counterparts in French Guiana for assistance , since Friday night’s attack occurred closer to the maritime boundary between the two countries.” They have been asked to help find the robbers on the French side , because information about this exists and we have shared this information with them,” Slijnard said.

Suriname’s Justice Minister , Stuart Getrouw stated on Tuesday afternoon that the search for the missing men have not stopped. He also promised that better protection of fishermen in Suriname waters is on the cards.

Relatives of the missing fishermen , most of whom are Guyanese , continue to be critical of the attention given by the Suriname authorities thus far to the gruesome incident.

The search was reportedly called off on Monday but due to intense pressure from relatives and heightened regional publicity , the exercise  reconvened and several private companies , such as Gumair have joined forces to help locate the missing fishermen.
Suriname media reports stated on Wednesday that of the 16 missing men , 4 may be of Surinamese nationality .

The pirate attack on Friday has left relatives fearing the worst. The men were reportedly chopped about their bodies, struck with bamboos and other objects to get them to comply with the demands of the pirates as their boats were looted.
Still after complying, the men were tied to anchors, batteries and other heavy objects and thrown overboard as their boats were destroyed.