Ceasefire in Aceh

Acting Foreign Minister Marian Hobbs has welcomed the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the Indonesian Government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Marian Hobbs described the agreement, signed in Geneva earlier this week, as "an opportunity for peace which needed to be grasped by both parties."

The agreement, along with the existing autonomy legislation for Aceh, offers a real prospect that the long-running conflict, which has claimed over 10,000 lives, can finally end, she said.

Marian Hobbs urged the parties to maintain their commitment to the ceasefire terms. She also commended the work of the Geneva�based Henri Dunant Centre, which was pivotal in bringing the parties together.

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