Jupriadi, Makassar – Representatives from both of Maluku's warring factions flew home on Thursday after meeting separately with government negotiators in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, having agreed to take part in peace talks next week.
The talks will be held on February 5 and February 7 at the Makassar's hill resort of Malino in an effort to stop three years of sectarian fighting in the Maluku Islands that has left some 6,000 people dead and many more homeless.
The mediators, including Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, met separately with both Christian and Muslim factions late Wednesday at different hotels in Makassar to lay the groundwork for the upcoming formal peace talks.
After a closed-door meeting with representatives from the Christian side, Kalla expressed optimism that the feuding groups will be able to settle their differences at the same table.
"We should all be optimistic, as previous informal meetings, both here and in Ambon, have yielded significant progress," he told reporters on Wednesday night.
The senior minister said that the rival groups have achieved a mutual understanding about how to resolve their problems. "Everything will run smoothly," he added. The two sides "have displayed positive responses by way of wanting to achieve peace in Maluku."
Kalla declined to disclose details of the outcome of Wednesday's talks. Other participants, including Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina and South Sulawesi Governor H.Z.B. Palaguna were also silent on the matter.
However, one source said that both camps agreed to not to view the conflict as a religious one "so that the focus of the solution will be on social problems" from the fighting. Both groups demanded increased security enforcement and proper resettlement for refugees, the source added.
Also present at Wednesday's meeting were Kalla's deputy in charge of health and environment affairs, Farid Husain, and Hamid Awaludin, a member of the General Election Commission (KPU).
The delegates from the warring sides will fly back to Makassar on February 4 to attend the formal peace talks in Malino after disclosing the outcome of the most recent meetings.
At the Malino dialogue, each group will be represented by 35 delegates. The Muslim faction will be led by Abdul Wahab Polpoke and Thamrin Eli, while the Christian group will be chaired by Rev. Mandagi, and Rev. Broery Hendrik.
"The main task of the delegates now is to socialize the common ground to their respective followers in preparation for peace negotiations in Malino," Kalla said.
Governor Latuconsina said that the talks can run smoothly should the people in the Malukus lend their support to the peace process by creating a conducive atmosphere. He said that he was pleased by the undisclosed results of the latest meetings with the two camps, and asked that the media not inflame feelings that might lead to further conflict.
Christian and Muslim leaders had also met with Kalla and chief security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the Maluku capital of Ambon during their visit there on January 25 and 26.
Fighting first broke out in Ambon following a small, personal dispute on January 19, 1999.
Malino successfully hosted similar peace talks between Muslim and Christian leaders from Poso district of Central Sulawesi province in December, also under stewardship of Minister Kalla. The talks ended with an agreement to halt more than two years of communal bloodshed there that has left some 2,000 people dead.
On Thursday morning, as the delegates flew home to Ambon, a fresh gun battle erupted in the city, leaving at least one person seriously wounded. Zeth Souhaka, 45, was shot in the legs and chest at Soya village in Sirimau subdistrict, Ambon. He has been listed as being in critical condition at the Haulussy General Hospital.
Earlier this week, the body of 27-year old Jecky Pormas was found in the Wairisal river at Galala village on Tuesday. He had been stabbed to death.