TerrorismPeace in the Philippines, but what next for the MILF?
Late last month, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) insurgency and the Philippines government signed a landmark peace settlement, signaling the end of a decades-old conflict. After seventeen years of on-and-off negotiations, the two parties finally signed a settlement based on the Framework Agreement developed in 2012. While the agreement is a significant political achievement for Philippines president Benigno Aquino as it essentially marks the end of combat between the insurgency and government forces, a challenging road lies ahead in achieving overall peace in the Philippines.
Late last month, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) insurgency and the Philippines government signed a landmark peace settlement, signaling the end of a decades-old conflict. After seventeen years of on-and-off negotiations, the two parties finally signed a settlement based on the Framework Agreement developed in 2012.
The new “Bangsamoro” autonomous region will replace the now-defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The ARMM was originally established in accordance with the 1976 Tripoli Agreement, signed between the government and the MILF’s rival, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
While the agreement is a significant political achievement for Philippines president Benigno Aquino as it essentially marks the end of combat between the insurgency and government forces, a challenging road lies ahead in achieving overall peace in the Philippines.
Background to the MILF
The MILF was officially established in 1984 by Salamat Hashim. A former leader within the MNLF who became disenchanted with the decision to sign the 1976 Tripoli Agreement, Salamat split from the MNLF and advocated more radical action in establishing an independent Islamic state in the southern Philippines.
The MILF’s initial hostility toward the Philippines government commenced when the MNLF accepted the offer of semi-autonomy in 1987. Although a general cessation of hostilities between the MILF and the government was signed in 1997, it was abolished under President Joseph Estrada in 2000. The MILF then declared “jihad” against the government.
While the MILF is primarily an insurgency, it has been alleged that they have engaged in terrorist tactics, such as the 2003 Davao City bombings. The organization is also alleged to have had ties to both the Abu Sayyaf Group (the ASG) and Indonesia’s Jemaah Islamiyah. These links have been consistently denied by the MILF.
The other challenges to peace
While the Philippines government has re-opened the door for negotiations with the country’s communist insurgency in the north, within Mindanao there are other actors that can obstruct the successful implementation of the peace plan.
Unsurprisingly, Nur Misuari, the founder and former leader of the MNLF, has been unsupportive of the peace process. Based on arguments that are partly political and partly personal, he has expressed discontent with the fact that the MNLF has been sidelined in the deal.
