Ex Aceh rebels disband their army
The initiative is part of a peace agreement signed with Jakarta in August. On Thursday, the last government troops will withdraw from the region.
Banda Aceh (AsiaNews/Agencies) Former separatist rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) today announced the disbanding of their militias. The initiative, part of the peace agreement signed in Jakarta on 15 August, comes a few days before the withdrawal of the last Indonesian troops from the northern province on the island of Sumatra.
"On behalf of the GAM combatants, I have the honour to announce that the Aceh National Armed Forces, or GAM fighters, are now demobilised and decommissioned," said a movement spokesman, , Sofyan Daud, during a press conference. He added: "We remain faithful to our commitment to implement the agreement of which we will respect each clause."
After 30 years of war for independence for Aceh province, which now should enjoy major autonomy, the rebels handed in the last 840 weapons on 21 December under the scrutiny of international observers of the European Union-led peace mission. The agreement, signed on 15 August in Helsinki, put an end to a war which led to around 15,000 deaths from 1976 to date.
Peace negotiations were made possible partly because of the tsunami which hit Aceh on 26 December last year; the disaster paved the way for overseas humanitarian aid to reach a region which until then had been off-limits because of martial law.
After the withdrawal of the last remaining Indonesian army and police men from Aceh slated for 29 December the presence of government forces in the province will be reduced to around 14,700 soldiers and 9,000 policemen. Before the agreement, there were around 35,000 soldiers and 15,000 policemen.
Aceh was the area hardest hit by the tsunami: some 170,000 people were killed or went missing.
.png)
12/04/2005
