KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/07 May)—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is ready to resume peace negotiations despite the death of one of its senior leaders, rebel officials assured on Monday.
Peace talks between the government and the MILF are slated to resume this May but the definite date is not yet known as of this writing.
Ghazali Jaafar, MILF vice chairman for political affairs, said the upcoming negotiations would dwell on power and wealth sharing, territory and transitional mechanisms.
“Both peace panels have started the initial discussion on those issues during their last meeting,” he said, referring to the 27th exploratory talks last April 23-24 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
During last month’s meeting, the peace panels of the government and the MILF signed the “10 Decision Points on Principles,” a breakthrough pact in the 15-year old peace process.
The document shall serve as the framework in the discussion and formulation of the comprehensive peace compact.
Jaafar said the MILF is ready to continue peace negotiations with the government despite the demise of Aleem Abdul Azis Mimbantas, the Front’s vice chairman for military affairs.
The MILF structure remains fully functional and his death would not hamper the peace process with the government, Jaafar said.
Von Al Haq, MILF spokesperson, echoed the same stance.
“There is a continuation of peace talks this month and his death won’t affect that,” he said on the phone.
Al Haq stressed the death of Mimbantas is an internal affair to the MILF, adding the Front’s central committee has yet to name his replacement.
Jaafar said in a radio interview that naming the new vice chairman for military affairs “is not an immediate priority” of the central committee.
Even without a vice chairman for military affairs, he said the MILF remains functional, citing that they have a Chief of Staff that is directing the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the front’s armed wing.
Mimbantas, 63, also the MILF deputy chairman, died last Thursday due to a cardiac arrest. He was buried beside the grave of the late MILF founder Salamat Hasim in the jungles of Lanao del Sur.
Salamat also died from a heart attack on July 3, 2003.
Mimbantas studied Islamic Law at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt in the 60s but later proceeded to Tripoli, Libya to become one of its missionaries in Mindanao.
He returned home in 1975 and since then joined the struggle waged by the Moro National Liberation Front founded by Nur Misuari.
In 1977, Mimbantas joined Salamat in breaking away from the MNLF to form what is now known as the MILF. (Bong Sarmiento/MindaNews)