The Philippines relies on Islamic community backing to peace in mindanao
Regional-Philippines, Religion, 2/23/2000

The Philippines will count on the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to support the peace process in Mindanao, Malaysian news agency BERNAMA reported, quoting a Filipino senior official.

National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre told a broadcast interview monitored by Bernama that OIC's backing is crucial in forging a peace accord with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The MILF is a splinter group of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the mainstream group which had inked a peace pact with the government in 1996 to end decades of fighting in the south.

"We want to convince the MILF to embrace political autonomy. It is also what the OIC wants," he said.

Aguirre said autonomy is one of the major issues the government is tackling with the MILF in their ongoing peace negotiations as an alternative to their demand for a separate Moro republic in Mindanao.

He said the government is banking on the OIC support for the government's peace process with the MNLF to secure a similar arrangement with the MILF.

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