OIC moves to unite rebel groups

By EDD K. USMAN

May 21, 2010, 4:43pm

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) headed by Secretary General Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanuglo is working for the unity of the ranks of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) "for the peace and development of the Bangsamoro people."

Ihsanuglo has brought together MNLF founding Chairman Prof. Nur Misuari and MILF Chairman Al-Haji Murad Ebrahim to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, for the 37th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the OIC on May 18-20.

MNLF has a permanent observer status with the OIC and always gets invitation from the 57-member pan-Islamic body.

MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said Ihsanuglo officially invited Murad to the OIC-CFM in Tajikistan.

An OIC statement said the OIC secretary general brought together the two Muslims leaders and met with them on May 20 at the sidelines of the OIC-CFM with the objective of pushing for an enhanced coordination between the two Moro groups “and unite their ranks for the peace and development of the Bangsamoro people.”

Senior officials of the OIC who handle issues on Muslim minorities also attended the meeting in Dushanbe at the start of the OIC-CFM.

Ihsanuglo was able to convince the two Moro leaders. The OIC will help in setting up a mechanism to carry out cooperation and coordination between the MNLF and the MILF.

“The Chairmen of the two fronts, Prof. Nur Misuari, Chairman of MNLF, and Haj Murad Ibrahim, Chairman of MILF, have agreed to enhance the cooperation and coordination among them, and to create a mechanism for that purpose with the technical help from the OIC General Secretariat. A second meeting between them will be held in the near future to (lay) down the details of that mechanism,” the OIC said.

Ihsanuglo vowed to provide any assistance required to hold the next meeting between Misuari and Murad. No date and venue have been identified yet.

Reached by the Manila Bulletin, MILF Vice Chairman for Political Affairs Ghazali Jaafar confirmed the presence of Al-Hajji Murad and a few other MILF leaders at the OIC-CFM in the Central Asian republic's capital.

"The presence of Brother Al-Hajji Murad at the meeting of OIC foreign ministers is very significant because the MILF will be able to convey to them the true condition of the Bangsamoro people and the progress and present status of the GRP-MILF peace process," said Jaafar.

On the MNLF side, Prof. Mashur Ghalib Bin Jundam, chairman of the education committee of the MNLF, said Misuari prepared a long speech for the OIC meeting as he left on May 17.

"I expect 'Maas' (Misuari) to update the OIC on the review of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement, including the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in Tripoli, Libya, on March 20," said Jundam. "If I know 'Maas,' I am sure there will be some fireworks in his speech like old times," he added.


source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/258373/oic-moves-unite-rebel-groups