Brigadier General Werner Kioe A Sen has led the Suriname Armed Forces (SAF) since late 2022. As only the second officer in SAF history to attain the rank of Brigadier General, he has successfully established the force as a reliable partner in regional security during his tenure. Brig. Gen. Kioe A Sen advocates for education as the foundation of military readiness, stressing the need for a critical thinking Officer Corps capable of adapting to rapid global developments.
Diálogo spoke to Brig. Gen. Kioe A Sen in August 2025 during his participation in the South American Defense Conference (SOUTHDEC), in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to discuss the modernization of the SAF, the vital role of international cooperation, and how the military is mitigating the operational challenges posed by the country’s economic crisis.
Diálogo: You are going into your fourth year at the helm of the SAF. What do you consider to be your most significant accomplishments and biggest challenges to date?
Brigadier General Werner Kioe A Sen, commander of the Suriname Armed Forces: Our most important achievement is the continued development of our strategic leadership, as well as the Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) and Officer Corps. The objective is to have a stronger, more capable cadre to address not only current, but also future threats. We live in a world that develops very fast, and you need to have an Officer Corps able to address these rapid changes.
We achieved this by implementing new courses, such as our first Competence Staff Course in 2023, which develops future leaders. We currently have our second class running, and this program will continue. Simultaneously, we offer academic programs to officers who completed their training before our military academy was implemented in 2019. These programs are essential because the officers need these academic skills to conduct research, development, and innovation, and most importantly, to be critical thinkers. This investment in our leadership and personnel is a core achievement.
The biggest challenge we face is the ongoing economic crisis, which affects the operational effectiveness of all the security forces. To address this, we work at the interagency level because independent action is inefficient. We merge our efforts; for example, our interagency maritime operation called Stingray involves not only the Armed Forces, but also the police force and the Coast Guard. Interagency effort is one of the things we do to mitigate the economic crisis, which remains one of our greatest challenges.
Diálogo: Last year [during SOUTHDEC 2024], we discussed some of the SAF’s latest advances in the fight against transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), including the maritime operation Stingray, as you mentioned, and the destruction of illegal airstrips. What is new in that regard?
Brig. Gen. Kio A Sen: We have shared insights from Operation Stingray with our Guyana Shield strategic partners (Guyana, French Guiana, and Brazil). During our last conference, we decided to conduct a synchronized maritime operation. We recently completed a major joint operation with the French Coast Guard and formalized an agreement to share our positions when active in our respective maritime domains. We have also advanced our maritime capability, acquiring a patrol vessel from Damen Shipyards. This extends our reach, providing a better instrument to control our maritime domain and secure the region.
Diálogo: In May 2024, the SAF and U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) signed a Framework Agreement for Cooperation that highlighted several critical areas, including strategic communication against TCOs. How has this agreement contributed to enhancing the SAF’s ability to combat TCOs?
Brig. Gen. Kio A Sen: It’s a work in progress. We have very strong cooperation with our neighbors, like Brazil and French Guiana, but also with the United States. We have a close cooperation that includes capacity building and subject matter exchanges. This agreement provides formality, but we have also been executing robust cooperation with the United States for some time.
Diálogo: The AMISTAD 2025 medical mission, led by U.S. Air Forces Southern, saw U.S. and Canadian medical teams work alongside Surinamese counterparts. Beyond the direct patient care provided, how did this mission specifically enhance the SAF’s humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) capability?
Brig. Gen. Kio A Sen: AMISTAD 25 was a welcoming gesture, especially for the Ministry of Health. Due to the economic constraints, our public institutions are frankly not able to reach the whole territory. Every support we get is welcome, and AMISTAD was very helpful. The Ministry of Defense chose to add additional medical staff in support of AMISTAD 25.
At the same time, we have been running our own civil-military operation called, “Gran Mati” or “Grote Vriend” in Dutch which means “Big Friend,” since 2021. This provides support to the civilian population, offering healthcare, dental care, and eye care. Over 4,000 civilians have received support through this operation. Since 2022, we have been fortunate to receive support from the United States and the Netherlands, who provide specialists and means to support our population. The population looks forward to Gran Mati every year; the operation is currently running in the western part of our country. AMISTAD is complimentary to, and supports, our own ongoing HADR efforts.
Diálogo: How has the civilian perception of the SAF changed due to your support for civilians, which goes aside from the primary security mission?
Brig. Gen. Kio A Sen: Aside from feeling safer, the population has more trust in us as an institution because they see that, with few assets and resources, we try our utmost to support them. Our vision is to defend our nation but also to support our citizens wherever possible. Based on that vision, we have achieved this trust from our society, and that seems to be very important these days.
Diálogo: The State Partnership Program (SPP) with the South Dakota National Guard has been a very active alliance. What were some of the most valuable exchanges or joint training exercises this year?
Brig. Gen. Kio A Sen: Two things come to mind. First is the annual Strategic Planning Conference. This is where we sit together and plan two or three years ahead, adding more stones to the foundation we build with South Dakota. This conference is valuable for both partners. The second thing is the recent Jungle Warfare Training that we offered to South Dakota. This was a pilot that we are currently evaluating to integrate into our bilateral partnership. The goal is to provide the South Dakota National Guard with skills in jungle survival techniques and jungle warfare. Since South Dakota National Guard personnel are frequently in Suriname, it’s valuable for them to know how to operate in our environment, which is very different from South Dakota — it’s tropical, high in temperature, and very humid.
Diálogo: Looking ahead, how do you plan to leverage recent successes in interagency cooperation to modernize the force and prepare it for current and emerging threats in the region?
Brig. Gen. Kio A Sen: We are focusing on three areas. First is interoperability, so we can be deployed together with our regional partners in humanitarian assistance programs, operations, and security efforts. Second, we must continue to structure our education system. Suriname is a young republic with a young Armed Force; we recently implemented higher education courses. Improving the education system is the future direction of the SAF. Finally, we will emphasize improving our HADR capabilities. If you look at how the climate has changed, there are many disasters coming and security forces need to be prepared. We will continue to leverage these three things moving forward.
Diálogo: What is your vision for the future of the SAF, and what do you think your legacy will be?
Brig. Gen. Kio A Sen: My vision is to elevate the leadership and the personnel of the Armed Forces. We are obligated to do that. When there is a crisis, society leans on our institution. You need military personnel prepared to support society. That’s why I emphasize education and training — to prepare our military leadership and the troops for any threat that comes at us. Through education, we prepare our military for every crisis.
