Indonesia confirmed Wednesday there would be informal peace talks this week with rebel leaders fighting for independence in the tsunami-ravaged province of Aceh. Minister of Information and Communications Sofyan Djalil confirmed a meeting would be held. "There will be an informal meeting which will be held this week in the frame of finding a solution to the Aceh conflict through peace and value means," Djalil told reporters after attending a cabinet meeting led by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Djalil also said the informal talks would take place in an European country. The Jakarta Post reported that besides Djalil himself, the Indonesian delegation is likely to be led by Justice Minister Hamid Awaluddin, with other members including a former military chief in Aceh, Major General Syarifuddin Tippe, and Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda. The talks, the first between the rebels and government after the last peace negotiation broke down in May 2003, were convened after both sides said they wanted peace in the wake of the December 26 tsunami that devastated Indonesia's westernmost province, leaving more than 228,000 people dead or missing. Both sides declared a ceasefire after the December 26 tsunami that devastated Aceh's coastal areas, but military authorities said that it had killed more than 200 rebels since the disaster hit. GAM has been fighting for an independent state in Aceh since 1976.
