Understand
Around 150,000 people were killed in Banda Aceh in the Tsunami of 26 December 2004. Some parts of the city became permanently submerged. Many aid agencies have been present since then to help rebuild.
The long conflict between the Acehnese independence movement GAM and the Indonesian army TNI has been solved for the time being by the peace agreement on 15 August 2005. The peace process has been quite smooth since. On 11 December 2006 the province held its first direct and democratic local elections. On 8 February 2007 the first democratically elected Governor, Irwandi Yusuf, was inaugurated.
