Blue Sky Group

CASE STUDY
Working for peace in Aceh, Indonesia

In 2002-03, Blue Sky was involved in the first ever successful private sector 'outsourcing' of a peace-support operation, when the organisation took on the task of helping to mediate and monitor the ceasefire in Indonesia's trouble-torn Aceh region.

From the end of 2002 through to mid 2003, a unique conflict resolution operation was conducted within Aceh.

Aceh, an ancient Kingdom at the Western tip of Sumatra which is credited as being the earliest base of Islam in South East Asia, has been subject to independence-led civil strife, on and off, since the 1970s.

This operation followed extended negotiations between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement which were mediated by the Henri Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HDC) based in Geneva.

Its uniqueness lay in the fact that the mediation process and the peace monitoring operation which followed it were conducted in the main by Blue Sky and the Swedish Search & Rescue Service working on behalf of HDC. This represents the first, and so far only, successful example of a peace support operation being 'out-sourced' to non-governmental organisations in this way.

Managing the transition

Upon the signing of the cessation of hostilities, Blue Sky - at all times working closely with HDC - managed the transition from what was predominantly a mediation operation to what became a ceasefire-monitoring operation, using elements of each of the former protagonists, together with international observers.

This involved carrying out a comprehensive, phased programme of work including:

strategic risk assessment and operational planning prior to transition;

briefing and training of the large number of disparate people and organisations involved;

implementation of the peace support operation, including:

-	setting up and working up of the ceasefire monitoring headquarters,
-	deployment of monitoring groups
-	setting up of stabilisation measures including disarmament,
-	demobilisation and re-integration (DDR) of former military combatants and security sector reform (SSR) for the civil government

and finally putting in place arrangements for eventual hand-over, wind-down and withdrawal (including contingency arrangements for emergency evacuation).