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Indonesian Officials, Rebels Agree to Extend Truce
Representatives of the Indonesian government and the rebel Free Aceh Movement have agreed to establish a one-month moratorium on violence starting on January 15 when the previous Humanitarian Pause expires.
According to a press release by the Indonesian mission in Geneva Wednesday, the two parties met in Switzerland on January 6-9 for exploratory political talks.
"The two parties succeeded in making significant progress and developed a detailed agenda for future talks including substantive elements relating to: security arrangements, democratic consultations, humanitarian law and human rights, and socioeconomic development," the mission said in the press release.
During the one-month truce, the two parties will try to revise substantially the security arrangements of the Humanitarian Pause in order to make them much more effective, according to the mission.
"This was the first such meeting on substantive issues as agreed to in the Joint Forum meeting of September 23-24, 2000 under the umbrella of the Humanitarian Pause," the mission said. " The purpose of these talks is to seek a formula for a lasting and comprehensive solution to the conflict in Aceh."
Both parties intend to meet in February 2001 to discuss and agree upon these new security arrangements as well as the process for continued political dialogue.
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