MILF welcomes EU’s confirmation of continued support for stability, peace and dev’t in Mindanao 

• May 25, 2016
• Gandhi Kinjiyo, Luwaran
• HITS: 2026

The leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) welcomed the confirmation by the European Union (EU) of the latter’s continued support for promoting stability, peace and development in the Southern Philippines during the MILF high level delegation visit to Brussels, Belgium on May 23-24, 2016.

A MILF delegation led by Chairman Alhaj Murad Ebrahim, Chief Negotiator Mohagher Iqbal and peace panel member Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga met with EU officials to discuss the latest development and prospects of the Bangsamoro peace process.

According to Prof. Lingga, the EU officials were from the European External Action Service (EEAS), which manages EU's diplomatic relations with other countries outside the bloc and conducts EU foreign and security policy, and the Directorate for Development and Cooperation.

The visit, jointly organized by the EU and Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), gave an opportunity to the MILF to convey the importance of peace in the Philippines to the national, regional and global security. 

The MILF delegates also discussed the pressing development needs in Mindanao and how to address those. 

EU, a conglomeration of European states, has been supportive to the peace process between the Philippine Government and the MILF providing both financial and technical support. 

Diplomats and experts from EU have been part of the peace structures created by the peace process like the Third Party Monitoring Team and International Contact Group. 

The MILF signed with the Philippine Government the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro after 17 years of peace negotiation. The peace agreement seeks to establish a new autonomous region for the Bangsamoro with more political and fiscal powers.

The progress of the peace process was slowed down by the failure of the Philippine Congress to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law, the enabling law that will facilitate the implementation of the peace agreement.

The MILF is optimistic that the incoming Duterte Administration will implement the CAB particularly the passage of the BBL. 

HD, a private diplomacy and conflict mediation organization, is one of the international NGOs comprising the ICG. (Info credit: HD & Prof. Lingga)

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