Aceh Monitor Mission (AMM)
- Duration
- 15 August 2005 - 15 March 2006
- Military personnel
- 5
- Fatalities
- none
- Decorations
- none
Aceh has a long and eventful history of resistance against domination by outsiders. Indonesia became independent in 1949. The Indonesian government incorporated predominantly Muslim Aceh into the neighbouring province of North Sumatra, which was mainly inhabited by Christian Bataks.
A small group fiercely resisted this situation. The fall of ‘president for life’ Suharto in 1998 fuelled the resistance. After the devastating tsunami of 26 December 2004, however, the resistance movement unilaterally declared a ceasefire. The parties involved concluded a peace agreement in Helsinki, Finland, on 15 August 2005.
The Indonesian government and the Acehnese resistance movement (GAM) asked the following parties to deploy a monitoring mission:
- the European Union;
- 5 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN);
- Norway;
- Switzerland.
The European Union’s first mission in Asia officially became operational on 15 September 2005. The Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) monitored the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of GAM fighters. The AMM ended its operations on 15 December 2006, a few days after former resistance fighter Irwandi Yusuf was elected governor of Aceh by a large majority.