The announcement by the Indonesian government and the rebel group, the Free Aceh Movement, to sign a peace agreement to end 30 years of war was welcomed on Monday by U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annan. Annan said in a statement that he commends "both sides for their determination to reach a lasting and sustainable peace in Aceh and strongly urges them to demonstrate continued resolve and commitment throughout the implementation of the agreed term," dpa reported The two sides announced the intention to sign the peace agreement on August 15 to end their conflict in Indonesia's Sumatra province, which was devastated by the tsunami in December that killed more than 100,000 people. The announcement was made on Sunday in Helsinki, where months of negotiations were held under the mediation of former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari. The European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations pledged to send monitors to Aceh once Jakarta and the Aceh groups have signed a memorandum of understanding to end their conflict. ---SP 2325 Local Time 2025 GMT
