OIC Welcomes Manila's Decision To Lift Arrest Warrant Against MNLF Chairman Misuari

JEDDAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Nov, 2016 ) : The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed the decision of the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to lift the warrant of arrest against Prof.

Nur Misuari, chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and to reinstate his freedom. The OIC received this information with great satisfaction and considered it another manifestation of the positive approach of the current administration towards the long-standing problem of the Bangsamoro people.

The OIC Special Envoy for Peace in the Southern Philippines Ambassador Sayed El-Masry reiterated the long-standing position of the OIC that Chairman Nur Misuari is an essential factor to the peace process; being the founder of the MNLF and the historical leader of the Bangsamoro people.

The OIC also takes this opportunity to reiterate its support for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and its Chairman Hajj Murad, as well as for the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which should be embodied undiluted in the new enabling law.

The OIC noted that it believes the times comes up to proceed steadfastly to close the ranks between the MNLF and the MILF in order to coordinate efforts to merge the two peace tracks and maintain all the gains contained in all the peace treaties namely: the 1976 Tripoli Agreement, the 1996 Jakarta Agreement, and the CAB.

Also, the OIC maintains its position that it does not favor one Moro faction over another, but that it is in full support of the inalienable rights of the Bangsamoro people to determine their future and seek peace and prosperity in their homeland.

The OIC welcomes the pledge of President Duterte to implement all previous international peace agreements, and reiterates its position that "for a peaceful settlement to be just durable in Mindanao, it must be based on the historical compromise contained in the 1976 Tripoli Agreement." OIC Special Envoy for Peace in the Southern Philippines will carry out consultations with the Peace Committee for the Southern Philippines (PCSP), in particular the two facilitators, Malaysia and Indonesia as part of the OIC's efforts to prepare the ground for a meeting of the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF) to harmonize the two peace tracks, consolidate cooperation between the two Moro fronts and come up with a unified position.

The OIC also noted that it is confident that it will receive the cooperation needed to reach a successful conclusion to this endeavor and calls upon all parties to remain fully committed to the peace process and to strive together towards the advancement of a final resolution of the conflict in Mindanao.