Associated Press

Helsinki, July 17:

The Indonesian government and Aceh rebels agreed today to sign a formal peace agreement on August 15 to end a 29-year insurgency in the tsunami-devastated province. The peace deal will be signed in Helsinki, where two sides wrapped up the fifth round of peace talks which began on Tuesday. In a joint statement, the two sides said the agreement covers the governing of Aceh, rebel participation in the political process, human rights, an amnesty and reintegration for the separatists into society and the establishment of an Aceh monitoring mission consisting of observers from the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian States. The deal will facilitate the delivery of international reconstruction aid to the province of 4.1 million inhabitants devastated by the December 26 tsunami. The accord, which hinged on an agreement to allow the separatist Free Aceh Movement to form its own political party, was sent to Jakarta for approval by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

“The president has agreed to the draft submitted by GAM about political parties” Indonesian Communications Minister Sofyan Djalil said today. The two sides today initialed the deal seen as the best chance yet of ending the three decades of fighting.