MILF peace talks, ARMM speaker warns
text & photo HADER GLANG
MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ibrahim
RENEWED hostilities between Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels and government forces may scuttle the peace talks in the southern Philippines, a senior official of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) warned as fighting continues in Maguindanao.
Eight members of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Units (CAFGU) and at least 6 MILF fighters were killed and several others injured after inter-clan fighting over land and supremacy in Lepok, Mamasapano, and Tapikan in Sharif Aguak towns at the weekend.
Chairman of the MNLF’s Central Committee Hatimil Hassan, who is also the regional speaker of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), has asked the feuding groups to exercise restraint to save the fragile negotiations between the Philippine government and the MILF.
Peace talks is set to resume this month in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to resolve the remaining issues on ancestral domain aspect of the Tripoli Agreement of 2001 before both parties proceed to discuss the final agenda of the negotiations.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said the fighting in at least three towns in Maguindanao had ceased Wednesday although tensions remained high. He claimed Cafgus backed by troops from the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion attacked Tuesday two MILF positions in the said areas.
But the military denied CAFGU initiated the renewed skirmishes, saying that the MILF fighters ambushed soldiers on routine patrol and that rido or clan/family grudges as the origin of the armed conflict, forcing government troops to step in.
Eight members of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Units (CAFGU) and at least 6 MILF fighters were killed and several others injured after inter-clan fighting over land and supremacy in Lepok, Mamasapano, and Tapikan in Sharif Aguak towns at the weekend.
Chairman of the MNLF’s Central Committee Hatimil Hassan, who is also the regional speaker of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), has asked the feuding groups to exercise restraint to save the fragile negotiations between the Philippine government and the MILF.
Peace talks is set to resume this month in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to resolve the remaining issues on ancestral domain aspect of the Tripoli Agreement of 2001 before both parties proceed to discuss the final agenda of the negotiations.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said the fighting in at least three towns in Maguindanao had ceased Wednesday although tensions remained high. He claimed Cafgus backed by troops from the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion attacked Tuesday two MILF positions in the said areas.
But the military denied CAFGU initiated the renewed skirmishes, saying that the MILF fighters ambushed soldiers on routine patrol and that rido or clan/family grudges as the origin of the armed conflict, forcing government troops to step in.
About 2,000 people from the villages of Bagung, Kuloy, Tapikan, Nabundas and Delumbong in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao had been displaced since the firefight started over a week ago, a report from the provincial social welfare said.
Efforts by members of the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team (IMT) and the GRP-MILF local ceasefire groups to reconcile the warring groups are proving to be futile as the fighting in Maguindanao has not been halted.
Meanwhile, ARMM Speaker Hassan called on the GRP-MILF peace panels and the IMT mediating in the Maguindanao conflict to contain carefully the problem so it will not escalate into a fully blown conflict and spread out to other parts in the autonomous region.
Also calls for immediate truce in some embattled towns of Maguindanao province, especially by refugees, has been rising since the recent skirmishes erupted few days ago, a latest report over the MILF’s official website said.
The 12,000-strong MILF has been waging a rebellion for a separate Islamic state in the southern Philippines since 1978. It has signed a ceasefire pact with Manila and is negotiating a political settlement that has been going on for far too long. (ZS)
Also calls for immediate truce in some embattled towns of Maguindanao province, especially by refugees, has been rising since the recent skirmishes erupted few days ago, a latest report over the MILF’s official website said.
The 12,000-strong MILF has been waging a rebellion for a separate Islamic state in the southern Philippines since 1978. It has signed a ceasefire pact with Manila and is negotiating a political settlement that has been going on for far too long. (ZS)
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