Malaysian armed forces chief in town for IMT inspection

COTABATO CITY — The Malaysian armed forces chief of staff inspected yesterday the ranks of the International Monitoring Team (IMT), whose role in enforcing the Mindanao ceasefire is widely acknowledged as the main factor in achieving the fragile peace in the region.

The IMT, composed of military officers from Malaysia and Brunei and civilian representatives from Libya, has been monitoring the ceasefire between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) since September 2004.

The visiting dignitaries, vice admiral Dato Mat Rabi Bin Abu Samah, chief of staff of the Malaysian armed forces, defense planning director Col. Abdul Karim Bin Abdul and his staff, Lt. Col Abdul Rahman Bin Alavi, and Ahmad Fuad Abdul Azis of the Prime Minister’s office, were briefed by their compatriots on the IMT’s accomplishments in helping implement ceasefire agreements at the IMT headquarters here.

The four dignitaries also met with Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema, who, as secretary-general of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), has been supporting extensively the peacekeeping thrusts of the IMT.

Sema told the Malaysian officials that the presence in Mindanao of the IMT is a big boost to the efforts of preserving the cordiality of the ongoing GRP-MILF talks.

The four Malaysian officials, who also met representatives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, took turns expressing satisfaction over the involvement of the IMT in maintaining peace in many hotspots in Mindanao.

The IMT, led by Malaysian Army Gen. Soheimi Pahlawan, was instrumental in the prompt settlement of security problems in areas covered by the ceasefire.

Members of the IMT have also actively supervised the repositioning of MILF fighters away from areas often rocked by rebel-military hostilities.