The government of Indonesia and rebels from Aceh province signed a peace agreement in Helsinki, Finland today-Monday, ending 30 years of conflict.
The historic agreement calls for the withdrawal of government forces from the region and the disarming of rebels in a bid to end decades of bloodshed that left 15,000 people dead.
All hostilities are to end with the signing of the pact brokered by Finland. The deal calls for rebels to demobilize and for Indonesia to pull out non-local army and police forces. Indonesia will grant amnesty to rebels, except those jailed for common crimes.
Aceh will be allowed to manage its own natural resources and keep 70% of revenues. The province will also be allowed to have local political representation.
Information for this report is provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
