Author: AKI
Publication: Adnkronos international
Date: April 16, 2007
URL: http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Security&loid=8.0.405031742&par=0
At least 70,000 Muslim civilians in the southern
Filipino province of Sulu were displaced due to fighting between a faction
of former rebel group, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the army.
Abdul Wasan Mohamad, provincial social welfare and development officer in
Sulu, told Adnkronos International (AKI) that the number may increase as six
towns were affected in the ongoing fighting that began when a group of MNLF
forces, under leader Habier Malik attacked a Marine base near Panamao, on
13 April. Eighteen people, including two soldiers and a civilian, were killed
in the incident.
"Non-government organizations and government
agencies have provided evacuees with relief goods and medicines. But if the
fighting continues, more and more civilians will be displaced," Mohamad
said.
The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC)
has asked the military and MNLF to stop the fighting. Reports said the OIC
proposed the creation of a small military monitoring mission in Sulu province.
But Jesus Dureza, Filipino president Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo's peace adviser, said that although they welcomed the concern
of OIC, the army will undertake punitive action against Malik's forces. Dureza
asked the leadership of MNLF to take appropriate steps and deal with the criminal
acts perpetrated by Malik.
"Unless decisively addressed by the MNLF
leadership, this latest incident will pose as an additional challenge in our
peace engagement with the MNLF," Dureza said in statement.
MNLF deputy chairman Hatimil Hassan told reporters
they would respect the appeal of the OIC.
"We have directed Malik's group on the
ground to silent their guns. We support the appeal of OIC to cease from further
hostilities and resolve the matter in peaceful means," Hassan said.
On 13 April, Malik declared a jihad, or holy
war, against Manila and fired rockets on the positions of government security
forces near Panamao. His action followed an attack by the army on an MNLF
camp in nearby Indanan town, last week.
Analysts say that Malik's attack is also due
to frustration over the continuous postponement of the scheduled tripartite
talks with the Manila, MNLF and the OIC.
In the past, Malik has been on record questioning
the sincerity of the government in implementing the 1996 peace accord.
Commenting on the recent development with
AKI, Sol Santos, Asia coordinator for the South-South Network (SSN) for Non-State
Armed Group Engagement, said that the recent fighting could also be due to
"rogue military commanders who want to get at the MNLF, contrary to higher-level
policy guidelines."
The MNLF, established by Nur Misuari in 1968,
was a mostly secular group that fought for an independent state for Muslims
in Mindanao. It eventually laid down its arms and accepted a limited autonomy,
signing various peace agreements with the government.
