OIC calls for release of hostages in southern philippines

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) has appealed to the Government of the Philippines to exert its utmost in order to reach a peaceful solution to the issue of hostages that he described as "a humanitarian issue."

In a statement released earlier this week, the OIC

secretary general called the Filipino government to seek a solution that would ensure the safety of the hostages and their honorable return to their countries as soon as possible.

The Secretary General has been exerting efforts, since the beginning of the abduction, to release the hostages from the hold of their abductors.

In this context he made several contacts with the Government of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), expressing the readiness of the OIC General Secretariat to send an envoy to the Philippines to help in saving the hostages as soon as possible and preserving their lives after their long ordeal.

The preparatory meeting to the 27th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers, held in Jeddah May 27-30, looked into the hostages issue and was briefed on the initiatives taken by the secretary general, the release said.

Twenty-one hostages were abducted last April from inside Malaysian territory and are being detained in Southern Philippines.