The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday said it is prepared to sign a peace deal with the government anytime, âprovided that it will answer to the root cause of the Bangsamoro peoplesâ centuries old problem.â
| Namely that they want a chunk of the country for their very own. No outsiders allowed. And no infidels, dammit! |
âResolving the Mindanao conflict through peaceful dialogue is our standing commitment and part of our existing policy,â MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu told Arab News when asked about his organizationâs determination to forge a peace agreement with the Manila government. Peace talks started in 1997 but got derailed in 2000 when then President Estrada launched an all-out war against the MILF. President Gloria Arroyo resumed the talks when she assumed power in 2001. A fragile truce had been in place, although it had been repeatedly disrupted. Both sides have blamed each other for the violations. Kabalu said that for a peace agreement to be acceptable in particular to the MILF and to the Bangsamoro people at-large, it âmust not be imposed.â He noted that the Bangsamoro people and civil society groups have been calling for a âreferendumâ supervised by the United Nations to end the conflict in Mindanao. âSuch formula will likely acceptable to the MILF, which could still be possible before May 2004,â he added. |