2 Moro rebel groups in North Cotabato end clan war

From the Philippine News Agency (May 24): 2 Moro rebel groups in North Cotabato end clan war
 
Local leaders of two warring Moro rebel groups in Matalam, North Cotabato agreed to end their ‘rido’ in order to facilitate the safe return of some 6,900 evacuees to their homes.

On Thursday, leaders of the 108th Base Command of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (BIAF-MILF) and the Sebangan Kutawato State Revolutionary Committee of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF-SKSRC) inked a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) after series of consultations and dialogues spearheaded by the Local Monitoring Team (LMT) of the Joint Committee of the Cessation of Hostilities of the GPH and the MILF.

The signatories to the MoA include Commander Mansur Imbong of the 108th Base Command of the BIAF-MILF and Commander Datu Dima Ambil of the MNLF-SKSRC.

The MoA signing took place at Villa Oro Resort in Matalam, North Cotabato.

Habib Guiabar, head of the LMT based in Kabacan, North Cotabato, said both the MILF and the MNLF agreed to a ceasefire.

Also, they agreed to pull their troops from Barangay Marbel in Matalam, site of the recent armed skirmishes.

Data from the LMT showed there are at least 400 armed Moro rebels positioned in the area and in nearby villages.

Government forces, however, will stay put in conflict areas to secure the civilians and government installations.

One of the vital installations located near Barangay Marbel is the main headquarters of the Cotabato Electric Cooperative (Cotelco), which provides power to at least 98,000 electric consumers in North Cotabato.

Peacekeeping forces include troops from the 602nd Infantry Brigade and the Cotabato Provincial Police Office, Guiabar said.

On May 5, the warring Moro rebels clashed in Barangay Marbel, Matalam, which killed an MILF member and displaced some 200 families.

Three days later, two villagers were seriously injured when a projectile from an M203 grenade launcher went off while they were returning to their home.

The fighting ceased after the LMT and the Cotabato provincial government, including the PNP and the Army, conducted dialogues and consultations with the warring Moro rebel groups in the area.

But two days after the May 13 local elections, the rebels were at ‘it’ again, which resulted to the displacement of some 6,880 evacuees from five villages in Matalam town.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=527445