Five rebels killed as peace deal reaches<\/p>\n
Indonesian soldiers shot dead five rebels in Aceh province at the
\nweekend as a new peace deal was agreed between the government and
\nseparatist leaders, a report said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels were shot dead during
\nthree separate skirmishes in South Aceh district on Sunday,
\nmilitary sources and local residents were quoted as saying in the
\nSerambi Indonesia newspaper.<\/p>\n
Aceh military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Eri Sutiko told AFP
\nhe could not immediately confirm the shootings.<\/p>\n
The reported deaths happened on the day a new draft peace
\naccord was agreed in the Finnish capital Helsinki between
\nIndonesian government officials and rebel leaders after a week of
\nintense talks.<\/p>\n
The agreement is expected to be signed in mid-August and
\ndelegates have said a ceasefire would only come into force once
\nthe treaty was signed.<\/p>\n
The western province of Aceh has a long and tumultuous
\nhistory, with the current separatist conflict just the latest in
\na long series of violent upheavals.<\/p>\n
The Helsinki peace initiative was partly spurred by the
\nDecember 26 tsunami disaster, which killed an estimated 131,000
\npeople in Aceh.<\/p>\n
The draft accord aims to bring a \"peaceful, comprehensive and
\nsustainable solution\" to end the conflict, which has raged in the
\nprovince since 1976 and claimed almost 15,000 lives.<\/p>\n
GAM gave up its demand for full independence and said it would
\ndisarm, while the government announced it would withdraw its
\ntroops from the province once the rebels hand in their weapons.
\n-- Agence France Presse<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/five-rebels-killed-as-peace-deal-reaches-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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