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Indonesia to withdraw troops from Aceh
The Indonesian government said Wednesday it would start withdrawing troops from Aceh in September as part of a pact with rebels to end three decades of fighting that has killed 15,000 people. The announcement followed claims by separatists and soldiers that gunbattles in the tsunami-ravaged province have claimed up to 10 lives in recent days. Each side blamed the other. Lasting peace would ease the massive international relief effort in Aceh, still recovering from the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami that left more than 130,000 people dead and left hundreds of thousands homeless. But several earlier accords have collapsed — the most recent in 2003 — and claims of fresh fighting raised new concerns. Information Minister Sofyan Djalil insisted renewed violence would not affect the peace process. "The situation in Aceh will improve," he said after a Cabinet meeting in Jakarta. Both sides "want to see an end to combat in the field." Government negotiators and representatives of the Free Aceh Movement agreed Sunday, after five days of talks in Finland, to sign an accord Aug. 15 to end one of Southeast Asia's longest-running wars. As part of the peace deal, the rebels gave up their demands for independence in return for some form of political representation in Aceh. A promised troop reduction in the province would begin in mid-September and be complete by Dec. 31, Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin told reporters. Earlier, officials said the number of security forces, now at 50,000, would be gradually cut to 23,000 under the watchful eye of European Union observers and monitors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. "The memorandum of understanding also discusses amnesty for the rebels, the rehabilitation of economic, political and social rights for the former guerrillas, and the collection and destruction of their guns," Awaluddin said. Even as the government spelled out its plans, Lt. Col. Ery Sudiko, a military spokesman in Aceh, accused the rebels of taking advantage of the peace initiative to step up their campaign. "When soldiers abandoned their posts as part of efforts to create a conducive environment, the rebels moved in, frightening villagers ... even killing innocent ones," he said, adding that among the dead was Muhammad Nur, a 42-year-old village chief shot in front of his wife. Rebel spokesman Sofyan Dawood denied the claims. He said five guerrillas, three soldiers and two civilians were killed and called on Indonesian military commander Gen. Endriaretono Sutarto to rein in his troops.
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