September 2, 2012 News: The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Geneva Call started a three-day Training of Trainers for the Deed of Commitment for total ban on anti-personnel mines and for cooperation in mine action yesterday.

The training is being conducted at the Training Center of the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI), which was just inaugurated by the Embassy of Japan last July 7, 2012 being a project funded under its Grassroots Grant for Human Security Project.

Chris Rush, Programme Coordinator of Geneva Call, is the Training Director, while the Institute of Bangsamoro Studies headed by Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga serves as the conduit nongovernment organization.

MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and Geneva Call President Madame Elizabeth Decrey-Warner approved this training during their meeting at Camp Darapanan in May this year.

A Deed of Commitment under Geneva Call for Adherence to Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Mines and for Cooperation in Mine Action was signed in March 2000 by MILF, which was reaffirmed and strengthened in April 2002 by Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, who at the time was the MILF Vice Chairman for Military Affairs and now the Chairman of the MILF Central Committee.

Geneva Call is an international non-government organization that engages armed non-states actors on total ban of landmines.

Some 40 representatives from the General Staff, Front Commands and Base Commands of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) - MILF participate in the ongoing training.

Rush explained the training aims to strengthen internalization and information dissemination of the MILF Deed of Commitment under Geneva Call.

He cited that MILF is one of the pioneering NSAs that signed a Deed of Commitment with Geneva Call, adding the MILF engagement and cooperation is a good showcase for academic research and effective practices on the endeavor.

Under the Deed of Commitment, the MILF is enjoined to 1. Issuances of written Orders and Directives to the BIAF from the General Staff for strict compliance to the Deed of Commitment; 2.  Effective information dissemination to the BIAF rank and file; 3. Changes in BIAF military doctrines to remove the use of anti-               personnel mines (APMs);  4. Conduct of various trainings starting with technical briefings and seminar-workshops for BIAF General Staff and field commanders,                 mine and humanitarian education programs which reach the foot soldiers; and 5. BIAF military disciplinary actions for violations or non-compliance.

To operationalize this Commitment, the MILF issued the General Order No.3 signed no less than by Sammy Al Mansur, BIAF Chief of Staff, and Chairman Murad  integrated  last September 23, 20122.

General Order No. 3 is an Order to effect the integration into the Code of Conduct of BIAF, the total ban on anti-personnel mines and for cooperation of mine action pursuant to the deed of commitment signed by MILF under Geneva Call and for other purpose.

The Order prohibits all BIAF officers and members to own, possess, keep, use, manufacture, stockpile, utilize,  Victim-Activated Anti-Personnel (AP) Mines and other victim - activated explosives anywhere and at all time.