By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines
The governments of Britain, Canada and Norway have welcomed the first phase of decommissioning by the Philippines' one time largest Moro rebel group.
In a statement emailed to Anadolu Agency, the British Charge d'Affaires, Trevor Lewis, called the decommissioning of 50 high-powered and 25 crew-mounted weapons, and the transition to civilian life of 145 Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, a significant and welcome step.
Lewis said the event underlines the continued commitment of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to pursue its objectives through political rather than violent means.
"As with any peace process, the process of normalization is linked to political milestones, the next of which will be the passage of legislation to make the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) a reality," he added.
Gradual decommissioning among the wing’s 10,000 estimated armed members is part of the Annex on Normalization of the CAB, which was signed by the MILF and the government in early 2014.
The CAB serves as the final peace agreement after 17 years of on-and-off and often intractable negotiations.
Lewis said that Britain commended the government of the Philippines for its continued efforts to bring peace and development to the peoples of Bangsamoro for the long term benefit of the Philippines as a whole.
Meanwhile, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Rob Nicholson applauded "the determination of the Government of the Philippines and the members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to move forward with the peace process."
He said that the start of decommissioning demonstrated the willingness of both sides to pave the way forward for lasting peace, stability, development and long-term economic prosperity for the people of the southern Philippines, and all Filipinos, who have endured decades of conflict.
"Canada continues to support the Bangsamoro peace process and all efforts to implement a comprehensive agreement," he said in a statement.
Norwegian Ambassador to the Philippines Erik Forner witnessed the MILF weapons turnover Tuesday, June 16, in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao province.
"We have been a committed partner to this process for several years -- as part of the International Monitoring Team and now the IDB -- and witnessing first-hand the beginning of the decommissioning is making a lasting impression. It means that the peace efforts are starting to bear fruit," Forner said in a statement.
The Norwegian government is part of the decommissioning process.
Also present at Tuesday's event was the Vice President of Turkey’s Humanitarian Relief Foundation Huseyin Oruc, who described the move to Anadolu Agency as mostly "symbolic."
The turnover ceremony in Sultan Kudarat in southern Maguindanao saw the handover of 75 high-powered weapons to the IDB, along with the registration and eventual decommissioning of 145 MILF combatants to formally mark their return to normalcy.
