UN tsunami envoy Clinton praises Indonesia's Aceh accord as vital for recovery

Former United States President Bill Clinton, United Nations Special Envoy overseeing recovery efforts from December’s devastating Indian Ocean tsunami, has praised the peace accord signed yesterday between the Indonesian Government and separatists in Aceh as vital for rehabilitating the region worst hit by the disaster.

“I congratulate the parties on their commitment to resolve their differences peacefully, and I want to recognize the contribution of former Finnish President Martti Ahtissaari, who played a critical role as mediator,” Mr. Clinton said of the agreement signed in Helsinki, Finland, by the Government and the separatist Free Aceh Movement.

“In the aftermath of the tsunami, the daunting recovery challenges in the region have underscored the critical importance of political reconciliation in Aceh, and I hope this agreement will lead to the peace and stability so critical to the reconstruction process,” he added.

Aceh, the region closest to the undersea earthquake that spawned the tsunami on 26 December, suffered by far the worst death toll and damage in the disaster, which killed more than 200,000 people and left up to 5 million in need of basic services in a dozen Indian Ocean nations.