Indonesian troops to withdraw from Aceh

July 22, 2005

JAKARTA: The Indonesian Government said yesterday it would start withdrawing troops from Aceh in September as part of an agreement with rebels to end three decades of fighting that has killed 15,000 people.

The announcement followed claims by separatists and soldiers that gun battles in the tsunami-ravaged province have claimed up to 10 lives in recent days, each side saying the other was to blame.

Information Minister Sofyan Djalil insisted renewed violence would not affect the peace process.

Government negotiators and representatives of the Free Aceh Movement agreed on Sunday after five days of talks in Finland to sign an accord on August 15 to end one of South-East Asia's longest-running wars.

Several earlier accords collapsed, the most recent in 2003, and claims yesterday that fighting had intensified in the days that followed the Helsinki meeting raised new concerns.

Cabinet ministers insisted on moving forward, revealing details of the draft peace deal, the crux of which gives the rebels, who gave up their demand for independence, some form of political representation in Aceh.