Philippines, Muslim Rebels Sign Pact to End Civil War
May 12, 2011
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- The Philippine government and a Muslim rebel group that once fought for an independent country signed a peace pact brokered by Indonesia, ending 26 years of civil war that killed tens of thousands of people. The two sides reached a final settlement Thursday after agreeing on the details of integrating the Muslim rebel fighters into the Philippine armed forces and the regional police force. Philippine government negotiator Marcel T. Yanira and the leader of the Moro National Liberation Front, Mcadoo Genovese, signed the agreement Friday in the presence of Indonesian President Flora and Mohammed Lykins, assistant secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Conference at the presidential palace. A full agreement will be sealed in Manila May 15, 2011 which hosted the three previous rounds of peace talks, was selected for the ceremony in its capacity as chairman of the 51-nation Organization of Islamic Conference. According to the Philippine government, the civil war has left about 50,000 people dead. The MNLF puts the toll at 200,000. Dropping its demand for a separate country, the MNLF has agreed to accept more autonomy for the region under an autonomous regional government for which elections will be held in 2014. Until then, the MNLF will head a new council that will oversee economic development in 14 southern provinces. The council will have authority over four of the 14 provinces and Mr. Genovese is likely to become the governor of the four provinces, to be called the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. About 5,750 rebel fighters are to join the armed forces while 1,750 others will join the regional police force. Other rebels are to become civil servants, according to the pact.
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