OIC URGES MNLF SEMA NOT TO JOIN MISUARI GROUP IN ZAMBOANGA ATTACKS

Kidapawan City, Philippines, 13 Dzulqa’idah 1434/19 September 2013 (MINA) – The influential Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which mediated the forging of the 1996 GPH-Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) peace agreement has asked the MNLF-Sema faction to remain calm and never emulate what the Nur Misuari MNLF-faction did to Zamboanga City.

Former Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema, who chairs the biggest and more politically active MNLF faction, said the OIC, the pan-Islamic body composed of rich and oil-producing Muslim countries, sent a letter urging him to remain calm and loyal to the peace agreement, Philippines News Agency (PNA) quoted by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA) as reporting, Thursday.

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Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the OIC, an association of 56 Islamic states promoting Muslim solidarity in economic, social, and political affairs, wrote Sema expressing his sadness over the Zamboanga City attacks by MNLF-Misuari faction.

“The OIC Secretary General urged us to remain loyal to the peace agreement,” Sema said, adding that the oic concern over the situation in southern Philippines have elated his group.

He added that even before the OIC letter, the MNLF in Mainland Mindanao under his leadership, has already declared they will not join Misuari’s faction, describing the act as ruthless and a clear violation of the peace agreement.

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After receiving the communication from Ihsanoglu, Sema met at camp Datu Ibrahim in Maguindanao with about 53 field mnlf commanders under his jurisdiction.

“We all agreed to stand down and we continue to enjoin other MNLF groups to follow the path of peace based on the 1996 peace accord,” Sema told reporters.

The MNLF leaders came from Central Mindanao, Lanao provinces, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay.

“I also call on the government and the OIC peace committee for southern Philippines to convene and continue the tripartite review,” Sema said.

The tripartite review was supposed to be held last Monday in Yogyakarta, Indonesia but was called off following the Zamboanga crisis. Misuari reportedly called the OIC to postpone the review since he could not attend the talks.

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Sema’s claim that the MNLF forces under him remained loyal to the agreement was corroborated by other MNLF commanders, like commander Abdullah Omar who is based in North Cotabato.

Omar said the MNLF under him and under commander Dima Ambel had not done anything in violation to the peace accord even at the height of MNLF attacks in Zamboanga last week. (T/P09/E1).

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).