Int’l peace monitors return to Mindanao

By Cynthia Balana
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:52:00 02/28/2010

MANILA--THE 60-MAN INTERNATIONal Monitoring Team (IMT) overseeing the ceasefire between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is expected to return to Mindanao Sunday after both sides resumed peace talks last month.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, chief government negotiator, said in a recent interview the IMT members would come from Brunei, Libya, Japan and Malaysia.

The European Union, Qatar, Indonesia and Norway had also been invited to join the team, Seguis said.

The IMT, which has a one-year renewable mandate, would be redeployed on the first week of March, he added.

The Japanese Embassy in Manila said two Japanese development experts—Tomonori Kikuchi, first secretary of the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines, and Yusuke Mori, second secretary of the embassy, would be sent to IMT headquarters in Cotabato City Sunday.

Both experts would be working on the socioeconomic development aspect of the IMT, including assessment of the needs for reconstruction and development, monitoring of development projects in the former conflict-affected areas, and the formulation of a comprehensive development plan.

“Japan has recognized the significance of the Mindanao peace process and contributed to its progress through various assistance projects called J-BIRD and participation in the International Contact Group among others,” the Japanese Embassy said in a statement.

Seguis said a 20-man team from Malaysia was also expected to arrive today.

On Feb. 17, an eight-man IMT advance team headed by Lt. Gen. Datuk Raja Mohammed Affendi bin Raja Mohamed, chief of staff of the Malaysian Armed Forces headquarters, arrived in Manila before proceeding to Mindanao to conduct an ocular inspection.