Peace efforts in Mindanao shifts to high gear

Manila: Norwegian officials, members of the International Monitoring Team as well as Philippine military representatives formally met on Wednesday as peace efforts in Mindanao shifted to high gear with Oslo taking on a bigger role in the overall process.

Lt. Col. Benjamin Hao, spokesman of the Army 6th Infantry Division based in Maguindanao, said top-level Norwegian Delegation arrived in Southern Philippines' Maguindanao following Oslo's recent formal acceptance of an offer by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to be a key member of the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team (IMT) watching over the government-MILF ceasefire.

Dignitaries from the Royal Norwegian Government visited Camp Siongco in Awang, Maguindanao and the IMT Headquarters in Cotabato City. A similar visit by the delegation of MILF's Camp Darapanan in Maguondanao had been schedule on Thursday.

In a telephone interview with Gulf News, Hao said Major General Anthony Alcantara received the top-level Norwegian Delegation.

"Norway's inclusion as one of the countries playing a role in bringing peace in Mindanao through the IMT is a major boost.  We are positive that the Oslo government's inclusion will help a long in bringing a solution to the conflict in the South because the Royal Norwegian Government's experience in peace making," Hao said.

Norway had played an important role in bringing together in the peace negotiating table Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.  The Oslo-brokered parlays resulted in the so-called Oslo Accords during the 1990s, which paved the way for the formation of the Palestinian National Authority.

Aside from this, Norway had also played a part in the shelved talks between the Manila and the communist-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

"Norway has a proven track-record in peace-building," said Hao.

Aside from meeting with officials of the Philippine military, the Norwegian delegation also met with  Major Gen Datuk Baharom Bin Hamzah of the Malaysian Armed Forces.

Malaysia heads the IMT which is also made up of contingents from Japan, Qatar, Brunei, Indonesia and now, Norway.

According to the MILF's Luwaran website, Norway is apparently interested to join the security component of the IMT headed by Malaysia's Major Gen. Hamzah.

From its initial role of watching over the truce between the MILF and the government, the IMT has taken on a bigger role in ensuring peace in Mindanao while negotiations for a political settlement are ongoing.

The IMF serves as a solid mechanism on the ground that is monitoring the security, socio-economic, humanitarian and rehabilitation, and civilian protection aspects of the government-MILF peace process.