Philippinen/Mindanao
Peace monitors return to southern Philippines (01.03.2010)
(Quelle: Reliefweb)
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.
Philippine rebels reject power-sharing proposal (17.02.2010)
(Quelle: BBC)
Muslim separatists in the Philippines have rejected a power-sharing proposal put forward by the government. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Milf) said the plan was "unacceptable" and would not give the southern region of Mindanao enough autonomy. The move means a peace deal is now unlikely before the end of President Gloria Arroyo's term in office in June.
Philippines and rebels 'push for 2010 peace deal' (09.12.2009)
(Quelle: BBC)
The Philippine government and Muslim separatist rebels hope to reach a peace deal by April next year, a Malaysian facilitator has said.
Philippines „captures top rebel“ (23.09.2009)
(Quelle: BBC / UK)
The Philippines army says it has captured a top Muslim rebel, Camarudin Hadji Ali, a claim denied by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The military claim came after days of fighting between the army and another rebel group, Abu Sayyaf, in which more than 30 rebels were killed.
Philippine Muslim rebel leader says last chance for peace (19.09.2009)
(Quelle: Reliefweb / International)
The leader of the Muslim insurgency in the southern Philippines warned Saturday that upcoming peace talks may be the last chance for a peaceful settlement with the government. Murad Ibrahim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), also warned of "anarchy" if the government fails to seal a peace accord.
Philippines, Muslim rebels agree to form group to monitor talks (16.09.2009)
(Quelle: Reliefweb / International)
The Philippine government and the country's largest Muslim separatist rebel group have agreed to form an international team to monitor peace talks and agreements between the two sides, officials said Wednesday.
US denies troops involved in combat in Philippines (28.08.2009)
(Quelle: Washington Post / USA)
U.S. officials on Friday denied American troops were violating Philippine laws by engaging in combat against Muslim militants, saying they were only training Filipino soldiers and their mission was temporary.
“Rebels and troops violated rights” (26.08.2009)
(Quelle: Irinnews / International)
Members of the Philippines military, as well as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), have carried out large-scale human rights abuses, Amnesty International (AI) alleges. Over the past year, about 750,000 people have been displaced by the conflict, and while many have returned to their ruined villages, up to 240,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are "still vulnerable to abuses", AI states in Philippines: Shattered Lives - Beyond the 2008-2009 Mindanao Armed Conflict, released on 25 August.
At least 53 dead in major battle in Philippine south (13.08.2009)
(Quelle: Washington Post / USA)
A battle pitting Philippine troops against Muslim guerrillas on a remote southern island killed at least 53 people, the military said on Thursday, but analysts said the clash is unlikely to have sidelined the rebels.
UN official welcomes action plan by Philippine rebel group (31.07.2009)
(Quelle: UN News / International)
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict today welcomed news that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Islamic rebel group fighting Government forces in the Philippines, has signed an action plan to prevent the continued recruitment of child soldiers.
Philippine leader expects talks with rebels to resume soon (17.07.2009)
(Quelle: People’s Daily / China)
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday expressed hope that peace talks with the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to resume "in a short period of time." … Arroyo said the government's chief negotiator with the MILF Rafael Seguis has informed her that the peace panels from the government and the rebel group are now preparing preliminary matters for the resumption of the talks.
DFA statement on the suspension of United Nations aid missions in Mindanao (11.07.2009)
(Quelle: Reliefweb / International)
United Nations officials have assured the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that UN agencies shall continue to undertake humanitarian assistance programmes in Mindanao, notwithstanding the decision to temporarily restrict the travel of UN personnel in parts of the island. According to the UN, the travel of UN personnel to and within Mindanao has merely been restricted for a one-week period, as the UN Department of Safety and Security monitors and assesses the security situation in certain areas, in light of recent developments.
Philippines agrees to rebel talks (09.07.2009)
(Quelle: BBC / UK)
The Philippines government plans to resume peace talks with communist rebels next month, officials have said. The agreement to return to talks was reached after the government promised not to arrest rebel negotiators or demand an immediate ceasefire. The last round of talks collapsed in 2004 amid communist anger at being included on US and European lists of terrorist groups.
Peace eludes Philippines (08.07.2009)
(Quelle: ISN Security Watch / Switzerland)
Chances for reconciliation appear slim as fighting continues between militants and government forces in the southern Philippines, now home to the world's largest internal refugee crisis. Security forces are on high alert across restive Mindanao and south-western islands following four bombing attacks in 12 hours from Monday evening in which six died and 56 were wounded, blamed by the military on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Mindanao's forgotten refugees (19.06.2009)
(Quelle: ISN Security Watch / Switzerland)
Last year they made up the largest group of newly internally displaced people in the world, but their plight has received little attention. While their continuing plight was briefly highlighted in a national newspaper earlier last month after an aid convoy was reportedly blockaded here by the military, the evacuees appear to have few if any champions in Manila.
Nearly 100 Muslim rebels slain in two weeks: Philippine army (15.06.2009)
(Quelle: Reliefweb / International)
Almost 100 Muslim separatist guerrillas have been killed in two weeks of heavy fighting in the southern Philippines, the military said Monday.
Philippines working to reopen peace talks (12.06.2009)
(Quelle: Reliefweb / International)
The Philippines President Gloria Arroyo says her government is working to re-open peace talks with Muslim separatist guerrillas in the south. Speaking at a ceremony marking the 111th anniversary of the declaration of Philippine independence from Spanish rule, she says the Malaysian government is helping.
Military kills at least 35 rebels, captures Muslim rebel camps in southern Philippines (08.06.2009)
(Quelle: Asia-Pacific Daily Report / USA)
The Philippine military said Monday that dozens of insurgents were killed and two Muslim rebel camps in the south have been overrun by troops, after soldiers captured another camp in the area. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), air attacks backed by artillery fire on the ground led to the capture of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) camps near Guindulungan town on the southern island of Mindanao on Sunday (June 7), regional army spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Ponce said.
Philippine military denies NGO accusations of food blockade in south (02.06.2009)
(Quelle: Asia-Pacific Daily Report / USA)
A non-governmental organization in the southern Philippines has accused the military of imposing food blockades on people displaced by conflict between the armed forces and the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). But the military has denied the claims, saying it is merely protecting food convoys from attack and doing its best to protect vital agencies operating in the area, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN World Food Program, the Manila Times reported Tuesday.
New clashes push back peace prospects in Philippines (26.05.2009)
(Quelle: Reliefweb / International)
Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in the southern Philippines in recent weeks as troops step up an offensive against rogue Muslim rebels, aid and local officials say. The offensive and the refugee problem have further pushed back prospects of peace in the oil and gas-rich marshlands of central Mindanao, leaving it mired in poverty. Officials say the social indicators of the six provinces in the region are the lowest in the Philippines.
Arroyo to ask Syria, Egypt help in Mindanao peace efforts (02.05.2009)
(Quelle: ABS-CBN News / Philippines)
President Arroyo said Saturday that peace in Mindanao remains on top of the government's list of priorities as she leaves for Egypt and Syria to lobby the Philippines' bid for observer status in the Organization of the Islamic Countries (OIC). … Mrs. Arroyo said she will ask for the support of Egypt and Syria as part of the government's efforts to "forge closer ties with Muslim states" in the OIC.
Muslim rebels storm military camp in southern Philippines (25.04.2009)
(Quelle: Reliefweb / International)
Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines stormed a military headquarters Friday night by firing rockets and automatic rifles but no one was hurt in the attack, a military spokesman said Saturday.
Philippine Muslim separatist commander surrenders (20.04.2009)
(Quelle: Voice of America / USA)
The Philippine military says a senior Muslim rebel leader has surrendered in the southern Philippines. The military said Monday that Mabaning Andamun Lucsadato is the most senior member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to surrender to the government.
Moro rebels backing EU entry as facilitator in peace talks (13.04.2009)
(Quelle: Business World Online / Philippines)
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would welcome the European Union’s (EU) involvement as facilitator in the southern peace process and to play an active part in peace-keeping efforts in Mindanao. MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal told BusinessWorld that although their central committee has yet to decide on the EU’s likely role in the peace process, he said the foreign bloc’s involvement is "good gesture" and indicates recognition of the struggle of the Moros for self-determination.
Bloody clash in south Philippines (28.03.2009)
(Quelle: BBC /UK)
Muslim rebels and the army have fought an eight-hour battle in the southern Philippines, leaving 20 insurgents and seven soldiers dead, the military says.
Insecurity jeopardises aid work (25.03.2009)
(Quelle: Irinnews / International)
A hostage crisis involving three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers may force agencies to stop bringing assistance to some areas, officials told IRIN, as humanitarian workers feel increasingly under threat in the hostile south. Stephen Anderson, the World Food Programme (WFP) country representative, said additional protection measures for his 60 local and foreign staff were paramount as the situation in Mindanao had become "dramatically more insecure".
Peace hopes fade in Philippine south (16.03.2009)
(Quelle: BBC / UK)
In mid-2008, it looked as if there was at last - after decades of fighting - a chance for Mindanao to find lasting peace. Eight years of negotiations between the Philippine government and the separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, or MILF, had resulted in a framework agreement. In early August, representatives from both sides gathered in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, to sign the landmark deal. But the signing never took place. … Emmanuel Pinol, the vice-governor of North Cotabato, which would have become part of the new expanded region, was one of its most vocal critics. He told the BBC that, in his opinion, the whole approach was flawed.
Strategy shift in Philippines insurgency fight (11.03.2009)
(Quelle: Reliefweb / International)
The Philippines vowed Wednesday to use conventional military power to defeat communist guerrillas instead of waging an "ideological war" with the rebels, in a major policy shift. The new approach aims to significantly weaken one of the world's longest-running Maoist insurgencies within two years in the capital Manila and the provinces surrounding it, the armed forces said.
Communist rebels say peace talks with Philippines impossible (08.03.2009)
(Quelle: Reliefweb / International)
The chief negotiator for communist rebels in the Philippines said Friday (March 6) that they would not consider a return to peace talks after rebels blamed the government for the murder of the daughter of a regional rebel commander.
Villagers flee southern Philippine town fearing new rebel clashes (02.03.2009)
(Quelle: Asia-Pacific Daily Report / USA)
The mayor of a southern Philippine town where Muslim rebels and government security forces have been fighting on and off for months said Tuesday (March 3) that villagers have been fleeing the town amid reports of renewed agitation.