Banda Aceh – Leaders of the former separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) returned to their homeland after 30 years in exile, the latest step forward in a much-hailed peace process. The group, including former "prime minister" Malik Mahmud and "foreign minister" Zaini Abdullah, were greeted by about 500 well-wishers, including former GAM guerrilla commander Muzakir Manaf.

Eight members of the group were returning for the first time while the ninth, spokesman Bachtiar Abdullah, had come back to the Indonesian province in October last year.

The men were whisked to their former headquarters – now the location of the Committee for Aceh Transition – where Mahmud delivered a speech.

"This is historical for me, because I have been outside Aceh for 30 years and now Allah has given me, together with others, a visit to Aceh, the veranda of Mecca," he said.

"Let us all pray that we can continue to remain together as now, to build Aceh again according to our own aspirations, which are now in our own hands, and in cooperation with the government of Indonesia and the world."

He passed on greetings from Hassan Tiro, GAM's founder who is known to be in poor health and did not return, "thanking the people of Aceh for their loyalty in the struggle and their readiness to give their lives and property." Zaini Abdullah said that when they told Tiro of their plan to visit Aceh, he had cried.

"He also misses (Aceh) and wanted to come home... But his return will depend on the situation," he said.

Mahmud said during his stay he would observe developments in Aceh following a peace pact signed with the government in August last year, as well as after the devastating 2004 tsunami. That killed 168,000 Acehnese and prompted both sides to make concessions to reach peace after nearly 30 years of conflict.

"Now is the time for us all to rebuild Aceh, to rebuild the economy of Aceh so that the Acehnese, given huge richess by Allah, can become more prosperous. Now it is up to us to manage this," Mahmud said. He also thanked the government of Indonesia for allowing his return.

The peace pact aims to end almost three decades of violence involving GAM guerrillas and Indonesian troops and police in which 15,000 people – mostly civilians – died. Earlier, Bachtiar Abdullah said some matters still needed to be settled, including a delay by Jakarta in passing a law granting Aceh wide-ranging autonomy which according to the peace deal should have been passed by March 31. The law is still being debated.

A report by the International Crisis Group think-tank last month warned that the law had been diluted by the home affairs ministry and that the toughest times for the peace accord lie ahead.

So far the process has been smoother than expected, with the rebels disarming and more than 25,000 non-local security forces departing from the staunchly Muslim province at the tip of Sumatra island.

Separately US freelance journalist William Nessen, jailed in Indonesia in 2003 for immigration violations after reporting on separatist rebels, was refused entry into Indonesia at Medan airport hours before the leaders arrived.

"He is officially still on the list of people banned from entering the country," immigration spokesman Cecep Supriatna told AFP, adding that the ban would only expire and be reviewed in September this year.