WASHINGTON, Philippines, May 22 (UPI) -- The Philippine government was urged by a leading Muslim organization to comply with provisions of a 1996 peace accord if it wants peace in its southern islands.
Muslimen Sema, secretary general of the Moro National Liberation Front, told the Manila Times the warning was conveyed to representatives of the Organization of Islamic Conference, who were investigating implementation of the peace accord under which the MNLF stopped fighting the government.
The accord and subsequent actions resulted in Manila granting autonomy to five Muslim provinces in the south, dubbed the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
"We told the OIC mission about the failure of the government to fully implement the 1996 peace agreement and many of our members are disgruntled about this," Sema said Sunday.
"MNLF commanders all over Mindanao are getting restless over the perceived failure of the government to fulfill its obligations. I am afraid that if the government does not take this seriously, the negative sentiments of our armed combatants can run out of proportion and might lead to eventual abandonment of the agreement."
Sema, who is mayor of Cotobato City, said Manila had failed to live up to promises to help former rebels with jobs and housing, and had also failed to implement promised economic development of the region.
The MNLF's leader, Nur Misuari, is currently in jail after leading a new rebellion in 2001 over promises not met.
The newspaper said that since then some disgruntled MNLF members have joined the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front or Abu Sayyaf, the terror group linked to al-Qaida.
The OIC group, which played a key role in brokering peace in the conflict, has called for a special meeting in Saudi Arabia between the Philippine government and the MNLF to resolved differences.
