MILF: ICRC official makes courtesy call to MILF Chairman

Posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (Sep 3): ICRC official makes courtesy call to MILF Chairman



The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Sub-delegation Head for Mindanao Mr.  Yann Fritz held an extensive meeting with MILF Chairman Alhaj Murad Ebrahim during his visit on August 31 at Camp Darapanan.

Along with Cotabato ICRC Head Dominic Earnshaw and Field Officer for Cotabato Alhusari Arba, Fritz was warmly welcomed by Chairman Ebrahim and some members of the MILF Central Committee in their administrative base.

The ICRC, an independent and neutral organization ensuring humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of armed conflict, had been assisting displaced people in Central Mindanao and the island-provinces.

Apart from the courtesy call, the ICRC came to hear updates on the peace process. It also expressed its reliance on the MILF leadership’s advice concerning the Front’s personnel on the ground relative to ICRC programs in far flung areas where the MILF elements can assist.

Fritz, who is newly assigned as Mindanao ICRC head, mentioned the programs they are presently engage in, such as food assistance, potable water and sanitation facilities in evacuation centers. He said that ICRC also provide quality care for weapon-wounded people, visits detainees due to conflicts and has new program on promoting awareness of and respect for international humanitarian law.

Chairman Ebrahim expressed gratitude to the ICRC for its continuing assistance to the residents of conflict-affected areas. “The ICRC with its programs is helping so much in easing the sufferings of the people in the region,” he said.

In his updates, the Chair told the delegation that “formal engagement of the MILF with the new administration has already started; continuity of the road map was discussed; and an upcoming series of meetings of the two Peace Implementing Panels is in line. A new BTC is to be formed that is more inclusive..”

“So far there is an optimism that we can still move forward with the peace process,” Ebrahim answered when asked how he sees the situation of Mindanao in the long term.

The conversations covered many concerns in the peace process such as decommissioning, wealth sharing, BBL as working paper and federalism.

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