The government of Indonesia and Acehnese rebels have agreed on a peace plan that could end three decades of fighting that has devastated that province. Signing the accord is only a step forward, however: Previous agreements have come apart under the pressure of mutual suspicion and competition for control of the resource-rich province. The challenge is to ensure that both sides honor the agreement and give the long-suffering Acehnese the peace they deserve.
The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian military have fought since 1976. The rebels want independence for the province and control over the substantial mineral wealth it possesses. The Jakarta government, worried about the potential unraveling of the sprawling island archipelago and the loss of considerable revenues, is adamantly opposed. The result has been sometimes savage fighting that has claimed over 12,000 lives, mostly civilians. Both sides have been accused of human-rights violations and atrocities, although more charges have been leveled against the Indonesian military.
The two sides have twice previously reached peace agreements, but both collapsed after violations by both sides. Indonesians charge that GAM has used ceasefires to rebuild its strength while GAM accuses the military of violating the agreements to ensure its grip on the province. Mutual trust is dangerously low.