Annan hails withdrawal of Indonesian troops from Aceh

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today welcomed the full withdrawal of Indonesian troops from the strife-torn Aceh province, which has seen nearly 30 years of separatist conflict.

The military pullout came in fulfillment of a peace accord with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) signed in Helsinki in August.

In a statement released today, the Secretary-General also welcomed the GAM’s handover of its declared arsenal of 840 weapons and the dissolution of its armed wing, also called for by the peace agreement.

The Secretary-General said this historic period of transition “can serve to lay the foundation for a secure and peaceful Aceh.”

The transition was overseen by the Aceh Monitoring Mission, which is comprised of members of the European Union (EU) and Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).