Saudi agrees to act as guarantor in GRP-MILF talks

Saudi Arabia has finally agreed to act as one of the guarantors to the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and Moro rebels. The letter of acceptance was sent to the Foreign Ministry of Malaysia on November 11, 2010. Malaysia is the third party facilitator in the negotiations. “The Embassy has further the honor to inform the esteemed Ministry that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has agreed to join the said [International Contact Group] with the hope of pushing the negotiation process forward and achieving positive results in the entire peace process in the southern Philippines," Saudi’s letter read. Other guarantors, collectively known as the International Contact Group (ICG), are the United Kingdom, Turkey and Japan. Non-state members of the ICG are the Washington-based The Asia Foundation, Center for Humanitarian Dialogue of Geneva, Muhammadiyah of Jakarta, and Conciliation Resources of London. The ICG provides advice to the negotiating parties and participates in the peace talks as observers. Their role is to also make the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) comply to obligations they have signed. Saudi was invited simultaneously with the United Kingdom, Turkey, and Japan last year but only the U.K., Japan and Turkey accepted the invitation by the Philippine government and the MILF. Peace talks between the government and the MILF bogged down in 2008 after the Supreme Court outlawed an expanded Muslim homeland agreement that would have given the MILF, the largest secessionist organization in the country, larger area of control. The non-signing of the agreement prompted rogue MILF commanders to attack mostly Christian communities in North Cotabato, Maguindanao and two Lanao provinces, resulting in deaths. Negotiations were revived in December 2009 under the government of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Formal talks have yet to resume under the Aquino administration. - KBK, GMANews.TV