Four islands off Sumatra belong to Aceh, Prabowo rules, ending province’s dispute with North Sumatra
The islands of Lipan, Panjang, Mangkir Gadang and Mangkir Ketek are near oil and gas fields, and believed to hold natural gas reserves.
JAKARTA: Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto has ruled that four contested islands off the northwestern coast of Sumatra belong to Aceh, putting an end to the province’s long-running dispute with neighbouring North Sumatra.
The Indonesian government decided the islands of Lipan, Panjang, Mangkir Gadang and Mangkir Ketek were administratively part of Aceh province after a limited Cabinet meeting led by the president on Tuesday (Jun 17).
The islands had been at the centre of a bureaucratic tug-of-war between Aceh – a special autonomous province with broader self-governing powers than other provinces – and North Sumatra after a recent ministerial decree listed them as part of Central Tapanuli regency in North Sumatra.
The decree, issued on Apr 25, prompted protests and renewed scrutiny of the islands’ rightful status.
Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian clarified on Tuesday that Prabowo’s decision was grounded in official documents dating back over three decades.
Among them was a 1992 decree that unambiguously placed the four islands within the jurisdiction of Aceh’s Singkil regency.
“We found an original document from Nov 24, 1992 – yellowed with age but still intact – that clearly includes the islands as part of Aceh. It was compelling enough for us to prepare formal records confirming its authenticity,” said Tito.
Prabowo’s decision followed joint consultations with the governors of both affected provinces.
Aceh governor Muzakir Manaf and North Sumatra governor Bobby Nasution both participated in the virtual meeting and signed a formal agreement recognising Aceh's administrative claim to the islands.
Muzakir welcomed the decision, saying it brought clarity to an issue that had caused unnecessary tension.
“This should settle everything. No party is at a loss here, and most importantly, the islands remain under the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia,” he said.
Bobby echoed the sentiment, urging residents of both provinces to avoid divisive rhetoric.
“Aceh is our neighbour. Let’s not be swayed by provocations or misinformation. What matters most is unity,” said Bobby, who is also the son-in-law of former President Joko Widodo.
According to news outlet Jakarta Globe, a survey conducted in 2022 found the islands to be uninhabited. But they contain cultural and religious markers such as graves and monuments erected by the Aceh government.
Panjang is the largest of the four islands with an area of 45.81 hectares, the size of about 45 football fields.
Mangkir Ketek has an area of 6.36 hectares while Mangkir Gadang's area is 7.48 hectares, news outlet Tempo reported. Lipan island is mostly submerged due to rising sea levels.
They are 1.2km to 2.4km from mainland Sumatra, Tempo reported.
The dispute over the islands has attracted heightened attention in recent years, partly due to their strategic and economic potential.
They are near the Offshore South West Aceh and Offshore North West Aceh gas blocks operated by Conrad Asia Energy, which span about 22,000 sq km and potentially contain 214 billion cubic feet of saleable gas, according to the company's website.
Muzakir said the islands are also believed to hold valuable reserves of natural gas.
“That's the real reason for the renewed interest in these islands,” he said.
