Suriname illegal mining alarms France at border

France is pressing Suriname to ratify a 2021 border agreement as illegal gold mining expands along the Marowijne river, which separates Suriname from French Guiana.

French officials say the lack of a ratified border accord makes it harder to fight illicit mining on the Surinamese side of the river, near French Guiana, where anti-extraction laws are strict.

Indigenous rights activist Jupta Itoewaki told AFP that mercury levels in the area are 8,469 times above the World Health Organization limit and arsenic levels are 4,623 times above the limit. Itoewaki, from the Wayana community, said people are exposed through water and food and called on Suriname's authorities to investigate.

France's ambassador to Suriname, Nicolas de Bouillane de Lacoste, said the river's condition was deteriorating partly because of illegal mining. He said ratifying the 2021 agreement would not end illegal gold extraction by itself, but would give legal certainty for joint action against irregular mining.

French authorities say about 500 soldiers have been deployed on land, at sea and in the air to combat illegal mining. France's defense attache, Lieutenant-Colonel Emmanuel Rigault, said the unresolved border makes it difficult to determine which country some islands belong to, allowing miners to avoid enforcement.

Surinamese Foreign Minister Melvin Bouva pledged earlier in July to ratify the agreement with French Guiana, but did not give a date.