Boni (guerrilla leader)

According to legend, Boni was born into slavery as the mixed-race son of a Dutchman and his mistress, an African slave. While pregnant, she fled into the forest, to the Cottica-Maroons. There, Boni was born about 1730. He learned hunting and fishing skills from elders in the community.

In 1765, Boni succeeded Asikan Sylvester as the leader of this group. It was later named for him as "Boni's" (later: Aluku). He trained his people to be formidable enemies of the colonists. Well-known fellow warriors were Baron and Joli-coeur.

Boni and his warriors operated from a large fortress with a four-meter-high wall, which they called Fort Boekoe. It was located in the wetlands of the coastal region of Commewijne. The name expressed their intention to "go to dust" rather than surrender. The wetlands provided strategic defences, and they armed the garrison with rifles and a cannon.

It was nearly impossible for the Dutch militia to trace or reach. From this strong position, the Bonis conducted numerous raids on plantations in the east of Suriname, especially in the area of the Cottica River. During these raids, they took provisions, tools, weapons and women. Because of the many successes of Boni and his troops, some slaves tried to escape and join him.

For the planters, the loss of slaves meant a considerable loss of capital. Because of the raids and raids that were undertaken from Boekoe, and the money-consuming punitive expeditions that followed, the fortress became a major concern for the colonists. The colony's militia was unable to counter the guerilla tactics of Boni. The militia was reinforced in 1772 by a corps of Zwarte Jagers (black hunters), recruited from 300 freed slaves and led by European officers. To distinguish them from Boni's troops, they wore red caps, which earned them the nickname Redi Musus.

This corps proved successful: after a campaign of seven months, the secret path, which was just under water and gave access to the fort, was betrayed in 1772. While Captain Mangold made a feint attack, the Jagers attacked the fort through the secret path. The fort was destroyed, but Boni escaped to the east and crossed the Marowijne River, which bordered French Guiana.

He moved his headquarters to Fort Aloekoe, among other places. In February 1773, further reinforcements arrived from the Dutch Republic: a regiment of Marines commanded by Colonel Louis Henri Fourgeoud. Among the officers was John Gabriel Stedman, who published an account of his experiences.[1] He describes, among other things, the tactics of the African guerillas: how small groups of four or five men, by moving and shooting rapidly, could appear to be part of a much larger group. Knowing the wetlands and territory, Boni and his mobile warriors confused and repeatedly defeated the Europeans and their mercenaries.

Fourgeoud, who had previously served in Berbice, managed to drive Boni's forces back, although they were never defeated. Eventually, they retreated into French Guiana. The French intendant Pierre Victor Malouet visited Paramaribo in 1777 to discuss with Dutch leaders the issue of the 200 Maroons on French territory. He claimed there were 3,000 Maroons in his colony, and said another 150 were on their way.

Boni continued to fight the colony for more than 20 years. He was betrayed on February 19, 1793, and killed by Bambi, an Aukan chief, who was under great pressure from Lieutenant Stoelman, commander of the Redi Musus. Boni is still a legendary figure among the Suriname community, where the Maroons fought for their rights to independence into the 19th century.