Moro National Liberation Front - Peace Talks

Peace Talks

All peace talks and negotiations between the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRPH) are participated in, brokered, mediated, facilitated, and events-coordinated by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Heavy fightings started in 1970 and the first peace talk was in 1976. The GRPH, after losing many soldiers in six years of fighting with the MNLF, coupled with the economic crisis brought about by oil embargo imposed by the OIC, decided to initiate a move to convince Nur Misuari to sit on a negotiation table for a peace talk. Desperate of being unable to convince Misuari, President Marcos sent his first lady Imelda Marcos to Tripoli Libya to request the assistance of Muammar al-Gaddafi to broker a ceasefire and peace negotiation between GRPH and MNLF. In 1976, Gaddafi played a very big role in successfully brokered Nur Misuari and President Marcos to sign an international treaty called the 1976 MNLF-GRPH Tripoli Agreement. The treaty was witnessed and recognized by the OIC.

The 1976 Tripoli agreement provided for a general ceasefire and called for autonomy under the broad principle that Mindanao would remain an integral part of the Republic of the Philippines. After thirteen years, the 1989 Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Organic Act was enacted into a law, wherein thirteen provinces (eight of which had Christian majorities) were proclaimed subject to the provisions of the agreement, which allowed Muslims their own courts, schools and administrative system. In 1996, the MNLF-GRPH signed a Final Peace Agreement, which provides that the Autonomous Region for Muslims would have a legislative assembly, executive council, special regional security forces, and economic and financial system.