Publication

This paper examines the role played by a non-governmental organization, the Henry Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialog (HDC), in facilitating negotiations between the Indonesian government and the armed Acehnese separatist movement. The study analyzes the causes of the breakdown of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement from December 2002 and looks at the role of HDC in mediating the implementation of complex accords between adversaries. According to the author, in contrast with non-governmental organizations, states acting through an inter-governmental body like the United Nations (UN) or a regional forum have advantages in mediating accords. The author questions whether a non-state organization is properly endowed for international mediation in a conflict like Aceh’s.