Moengo


Moengo is a town in Suriname, located in the Marowijne district, between Paramaribo and the border town Albina on the Cottica River. Moengo is also a resort in the district of Marowijne. Moengo was the capital of Marowijne District between 1932 and 1945. The current capital is Albina.

History

In 1916, Alcoa founded the first bauxite mine in Suriname, and this marks the beginning of the town. The town was designed in 1919 to house 4,000 people. In former times it was a major centre for the mining and storage of bauxite. The town could originally only be reached via the river. In 1926 lieutenant Weyne started to build a road to Moengotapoe which was extended to Paramaribo in 1929. In 1964, the East-West Link opened.
The 1980s marked a violent period: the Surinamese Interior War had reached Moengo. Troops from the Jungle Commando captured the town in 1988, and held it for nine months before being recaptured by the National Army in June 1989. A large portion of the population fled the town, the bauxite mine ceased its operations, and several buildings burned down.
In June 2014, Alcoa announced that the bauxite mine was almost deplated, and wanted to cease operations in Suriname. In 2017, the ownership of Suralco, the local subsidiary, was transferred to the Government of Suriname.
The Moengo Airstrip is located near the town, and was founded in 1955. Originally the airport was called Schiphol after Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Sports and Arts

The town is home to two Suriname first division football clubs: Inter Moengotapoe who play at Ronnie Brunswijkstadion, and Notch who play at Moengo Stadion.
In 2009, Kibii Foundation, chaired by the artist Marcel Pinas, established the Tembe Art Studio with the aim of inviting international artists to teach their skills. These artists-in-residence have to donate a work of art to the :nl:Marowijne Art Park|Marowijne Art Park located in the nearby village of Ovia Olo. As of 2011, Moengo is home to the Contemporary Art Museum Moengo which is the first museum for contemporary art in Suriname. As of 2013, the :nl:Moengo Festival|Moengo Festival is organised, a three day festival alternately showcasing music, theatre, dance, and the visual arts. In 2018, the festival attracted 20,000 people.

Notable people