Aceh, Indonesia
Indonesian separatists in Aceh agreed to a peace accord this week, ending a 30-year conflict that has claimed more than 15,000 lives. Under a deal brokered by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, the rebels will lay down their arms and receive full amnesty, while the Indonesian military will withdraw two-thirds of the troops it has stationed in the region. Both sides said the breakthrough was partly due to last December’s tsunami, which killed 130,000 people in the province. Thousands of U.N. and other aid workers descended on the province and worked with both the rebels and the military to rescue survivors. A formal peace accord is scheduled to be signed in Finland next month.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Donald Trump’s week in Asia: can he shift power away from China?Today's Big Question US president’s whirlwind week of diplomacy aims to bolster economic ties and de-escalate trade war with China
-
The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
-
Mall World: why are people dreaming about a shopping centre?Under The Radar Thousands of strangers are dreaming about the same thing and no one sure why
