The National Liberation Union (NLU) was a previously unknown group that claimed responsibility for the October 1989 seizure of a mining town and American-owned bauxite plant in the town of Moengo in eastern Suriname.  The attack caused no reported injuries, and it is not thought that the group held the town for an extended period of time. <P><br /><br />While the group had not been heard of prior to this assault, NLU was thought to be allied with a guerilla outfit known as the Bushnegro Jungle Commandos.  Led by the charismatic Ronnie Brunswijk (often compared to Robin Hood by Suriname's poor), these insurgents fought from 1986-1989 against a brutal military dictatorship that had controlled Suriname for several years.  The term "Bushnegro" refers to slaves of West African descent who had escaped plantations and fled to Suriname's interior jungles in the 17th and 18th centuries.  <P><br /><br />During its three year long insurgency against the government, the Jungle Commandos frequently attacked economic targets, which often included bauxite mining facilities. Bauxite mining and processing accounts for over 70% of Suriname's economic output.  <P><br /><br />Continued fighting between the Surinamese army and the Jungle Commandos led to a July 1989 peace accord which was aimed at ending the insurgency.  Before its implementation however, Suriname's dictator, Lt. Col. Desi Bouterse, declared the accord null and void.  This ultimately led to the NLU's attack on Moengo.  In reality the "attack" has been described as peaceful, and the only demand given by the group was for the implementation of the July peace treaty. <P><br /><br />Although NLU cannot be explicitly linked with the Jungle Commandos, the name of the group is similar to that of a Jungle Commandos alternate name, the Suriname National Liberation Army.  Furthermore, the similarity in targeting and motivation behind the two group's actions has led many to speculate that the NLU was simply an alias for Brunswijk's outfit. <br />