Prior to the Tucayana Amazonas, many of the fighters had been soldiers during the Surinamese Interior War who fought on the side of the National Army against the Jungle Commando.
[2] On 31 August 1989, a group of Amerindians took possession of the ferry near Jenny and called themselves the Tucayana Amazonas.
On 13 October the town of Moengo, a stronghold of the Jungle Commando, got attacked;[6] 20 soldiers were killed in the fighting.
[8] However, Thomas switched sides to the Army which quickly moved in to regain control over the villages.
[16] On 8 August 1992, a peace treaty was signed between the National Army, the Jungle Commando and the Tucayana Amazonas.