MILF SPLINTER GROUPS

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is insisting that current clan feuds, and lots of accompanying gun and mortar fire, are no danger to the peace talks. It's pointed out that there are about five or more of these feuds breaking out each month in the south. Most of these feuds are relatively low key (more shouting than shooting.) But some of them involve two or more heavily armed private militias, and these brawls are loud, bloody and go on for a while. Some of the fighting is the result of old disputes between the factions of the rebel MILF and pro-government MNLF. All this has led to several gun battles in the last month, leaving dozens dead and wounded. Over 5,000 people have fled their homes to avoid the shooting. Most of the unrest arises from two local MILF and MNLF commanders that have disputes with each other. The arguments escalated to involve over a thousand armed men from both groups. The army and police are trying to broker a ceasefire. Much of the current feuding is political, with some groups fighting to oppose any peace deal with the government that does not include a separate Moslem state in the south.

Peace negotiations with MILF have hit a snag over the reluctance of top MILF commanders to shut down factions that refuse to accept anything less than a separate Moslem state in the south. The MILF doesn't want to start a war within their own organization, and believes they can destroy the rebellious faction by persuading subordinate commanders to return to the mainstream MILF. But in the meantime, the rebellious factions continue to attack security forces and Christian civilians.

The MILF has also assured the government that MILF groups that have recently rebelled, will be taken care of. The worst of these splinter groups is BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters), which contains about a thousand armed men. In the past, such divisiveness has been a persistent problem. Over the last few decades, peace deals with Moslems separatists have constantly unraveled when some factions insisted on continuing the fight.