Brussels, 16/09/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Union monitoring mission in Aceh (Indonesia), responsible for implementing the peace agreement signed on 15 August between the government of Djakarta and the separatist rebels of the Indonesian province of Aceh, was officially launched on 15 September (EUROPE 9026). It began work by controlling the first move of the separatist rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to give up their weapons. According to a press release, the rebels gave up 79 weapons on Thursday. Headed by the EU with five countries of South East Asia (Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines), as well as Norway and Switzerland, the mission includes deployment of 227 civilian experts responsible for overseeing GAM disarmament and demobilisation, as well as the withdrawal of a large part of the Indonesian forces from the province. The mission will come to an end on 15 March 2006.
The implementation of the peace agreement signed in August between the Indonesian government and the separatist rebels of the Aceh province is “going well”, said the EU High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, who was in New York for the summit of the United Nations. “I met President Yudhoyono yesterday in New York. I told him that the EU is pleased to be able to support the implementation of the peace agreement in Aceh and is committed to making it a success”, Mr Solana said, adding: “This mission is a further step in the partnership that the EU is building with East Asian countries”.
British Foreign Minister Jack Straw also wished to welcome the launching of the mission on behalf of the EU Council Presidency. He said the peaceful solution to the internal conflict will be a great advantage to Indonesia and to the population of Aceh and will provide a very positive example both regionally and internationally. The establishment of peace, he added, will be an enormous help to the rebuilding and rehabilitation of Aceh after the tragic tsunami last December.