The negotiators of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian government met for the first time without mediators on Wednesday. Private talks are reported to be a good sign.
Even on Wednesday morning, negotiations were first started at a joint session chaired by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari at the Königstedt manor in Vantaa near Helsinki. In the afternoon, the two sides had longer private talks, said Maria-Elena Cowell of Ahtisaari's Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) organisation.
Wednesday's agenda reportedly included the reintegration of GAM fighters into the society of Aceh, known for its rich oil resources, as well as the monitoring of any potential peace agreement. While the UN is not expected to send its peace-keeping forces to the area, it is still to be decided how the agreement would be put into practice.
The details of the talks between the members of the two sides were not made public on Thursday.
However, Maria-Elena Cowell says that the atmosphere is hopeful and the two sides are seriously trying to find a solution to the conflict. The negotiations are to continue until the end of the current week.
