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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippines, Muslim rebels sign 'power-sharing' accord |
| 2013-12-09 |
| [Pak Daily Times] The Philippine government and the main Mohammedan rebel group on Sunday signed a crucial power-sharing accord, paving the way for a final peace agreement, government statements said. The accord, signed by negotiators from the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Kuala Lumpur, is another step towards finally ending a decades-long Mohammedan rebel insurgency in the south that claimed an estimated 150,000 lives. "The signing of the Annex on Power Sharing ensures the achievement of a genuine and viable autonomy for the Bangsamoro (Filipino Mohammedans)," Teresita Deles, the head of the government peace panel, said in a statement. "It has been a very difficult round but we were able to overcome a lot of obstacles," she added. President Benigno Aquino's front man Herminio Coloma said the president had been informed of the signing of the annex and had congratulated both parties. The two sides in October last year had signed an initial pact on ending the conflict, in preparation for a final agremeent. Under the plan, the 12,000-strong MILF would give up its quest for an independent homeland in the southern island of Mindanao in return for significant power and wealth-sharing in a new autonomous region there. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 Yokay, I'll say it - A-G-A-I-N??? Methought they signed the accord, or three, already??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2013-12-09 18:39 |
| #2 How long do you think it will be before that '12,000 strong' MILF becomes something like 2,000 strong as most of it 'splinters off' into a new, 'seperate' Muslim group demanding even more territory? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2013-12-09 15:30 |
| #1 Give 'em an inch.......... |
| Posted by: RJ45ACP 2013-12-09 15:04 |