Members of the International Contact Group, (ICG) visited the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) at the latter’s Administrative Base in Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao on Monday (January 30) to gain updates on how the peace process is going on.
Comprising the ICG delegation were Emma Leslie, Kristian Herbolzheimer, Rupert Compston, Alberto Quattrucci, Hiromuchi Matsui, Suzanne Dahman, and Yosuke Tomanayashi of the International Monitoring Team (IMT).
The ICG, established in December 2009, is a group of foreign states and international non- governmental organizations mandated to assist in the peace process between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the MILF.
MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and Members of the Central Committee, warmly received the group’
Chairman Murad, knowing that the international community is aware of the discomfiting developments for the past several months, started his updates on how challenging it was for the MILF leadership to hold the people on the ground.
“After the non-passage of the BBL under the past administration, frustration was very high, especially among the people.” Murad said, referring to the fighters in the ground.
“That was a big challenge on the part of the leadership of the MILF, for we have to ensure, that we will be able to hold our people in the peace process. It came also at the times when there are many groups within the Bangsamoro, and outside of Bangsamoro elements of radicalism trying to insinuate to resort to violence. Actually until now, we are struggling to counter this, because their numbers are increasing. So, in order to hold on with our people, we have to start engaging with the newly elected president very early, and that meeting was held even before he was sworn in.
In the said first engagement, the MILF leadership were assured by President-elect Duterte that what he had said in his election campaign, he will abide by it, that he will implement BBL.
In a bit extensive updates Chair Murad, mentioned on what had transpired all these time, viz a viz, the presentation of Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Jess Dureza of the new peace road map, which do not conform to what the MILF leadership had tackled with President Duterte during their first engagement.
They are, renaming of the Negotiating Panel into Implementing Panel; the meeting of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Radzak with Pres.Rodrigo Roa Duterte, which almost resulted to non-appointment of a new facilitator, had it not been explained to them its importance thru a letter of MILF leadership.
One member of the group, whose comments were notably taken said, “It is almost three years when a significant agreement was signed, and yet nothing has move”. “Summing up the course of the peace process since the agreement was signed, and in particular the present set up, there seems to be a confusion on the way it is being held or done”, another ICG member observes.
http://www.luwaran.net/home/index.php/news/20-central-mindanao/1061-international-contact-group-visits-milf-leadership
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