A report by the ICG says both Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation are restarting the peace process warily. “Quite apart from the difficulty of negotiating the territory and powers of a sub-state, Manila wonders about the MILF’s command and control, especially given a recent split, and the MILF wonders about the government’s backbone.”

“President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo must not let her political association with the Ampatuan family stand in the way of a speedy and impartial investigation into the incident. The national government must step in and enforce the law since the local police is not likely capable of conducting an impartial probe or may be vulnerable to pressure by the powerful political families in the province.”

The Anak Mindanao (AMIN) Party-list today urges the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Food Authority (NFA) to prioritize the development of agriculture in Mindanao to supply the needed food stocks required by the whole country.

ISLAMIC SEPARATISM   By Rohaniza Sumndad  |  Some 500,000 people in Mindanao, especially children, have been displaced from their homes and live in fear due to continued armed conflict. There is a great need to heal and rebuild communities that have been traumatized by violence.

By Mike G. Kulat  |  The recent squabbles within the government and the deplorable conditions of over half a million refugees brought about by the aborted signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain can be considered one of the greatest dramas in the annals of Philippine history.

A new Supreme Court ruling has ended hope of a peaceful resolution in the near future to the decades-old conflict between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Philippines government. The Philippines: The Collapse of Peace in Mindanao, the latest briefing from the International Crisis Group, says the immediate task now is to prevent escalation of fighting and discourage the government and local officials from arming civilians. Interested governments and donors should press both sides to keep existing ceasefire mechanisms in place, while quietly urging a return to talks.

The recent conflict between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and government forces threatened communities in southern Philippines, including the predominantly Muslim provinces in Mindanao. This resulted in 511,090 persons being displaced during the height of the conflict.

The prospect of serious renewed fighting breaking out in Mindanao after the end of Ramadan has got Christian and Muslim organizations trying to work out how best to help keep the peace and kick-start renewed talks while helping out in the huge relief effort needed.

The European Union is deeply concerned by the escalation of violence in Mindanao, the growing number of civilian casualties and displaced persons.