COTABATO, Philippines — Malaysian-led peace monitors have returned to the troubled southern Philippines for the first time since Muslim rebels launched a wave of deadly attacks in 2008, officials said Monday.
The team's work is primarily to ensure a truce holds on the island of Mindanao between the government and the 12,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) while the two sides negotiate a peace settlement.
"With the redeployment of the International Monitoring Team, the peace talks are back on track," Foreign Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, who is also the government's chief peace negotiator with the rebels, said in a statement.
"It will also strengthen the security monitoring in the area."
Malaysia has been brokering the peace talks, which are aimed at ending the MILF's struggle for an autonomous Muslim homeland on Mindanao that has claimed more than 150,000 lives since 1978.
The two sides will meet again in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, a member of the government negotiating team, who asked not to be named, told AFP.
"Both sides will continue to seek ways to break the impasse in the next meeting," said the negotiator.
However, the MILF said after the last talks broke down in January that it was unlikely a deal would be reached with the government of President Gloria Arroyo, who is constitutionally mandated to step down on June 30.
The 60-person monitoring team is made up of unarmed military and police personnel, as well as diplomats and representatives of non-government organisations.
http://newageislam.com/peace-monitors-return-to-southern-philippines/islamic-world-news/d/2521
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4:02 AM
Moderate Islamist here
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