Introduction

Abstract

In 2005 and 2006 the European Union (EU) sent a monitoring mission to the Province of Aceh in Indonesia. Its mandate was to observe the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement. This peace agreement, which had been negotiated in the wake of the devastating tsunami of 2004, brought a decades-long civil conflict to an end. For 16 months, EU monitors oversaw the disarmament of the rebels and verified the withdrawal of government troops. The former belligerents had specifically asked for the EU’s involvement as a result of its credibility and perceived neutrality. The Aceh Monitoring Mission is still considered as a major success story. While the EU monitors concluded their mission seven years ago, the Province of Aceh has remained relatively peaceful ever since. The EU was a force for good and delivered added value.