The signing of a peace agreement on August 15 between the Indonesian government and Free Aceh Movement raises hope that the groups' 29-year conflict will soon end. The two sides decided to resume peace talks in the aftermath of the December 2005 tsunami that killed 130,000 people and left a half million people homeless in the Aceh region. Aceh rebels and the Indonesian government are optimistic about the new agreement, even though a peace agreement between the two groups in 2002 failed after five months.
Mediated by Finish officials in Helsinki, the two parties held five rounds of talks and settled on a peace plan that called for the partial autonomy of the Aceh region and the creation of Aceh's own political party. The plan also calls for the disarmament of the Aceh rebels and the reduction of Indonesian troops and police force from the Aceh region. The Aceh Monitoring Mission, comprised of representatives from Europe and Southeast Asia, will oversee the implementation of the peace agreement.
