Twenty-eight Malaysian security contingents of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) in Mindanao, southern Philippines, are set to leave for home on Saturday after Kuala Lumpur announced its pullout one month ago.
A Malaysian aircraft arrives early Saturday morning in Davao City to pick up their contingents deployed at IMT Team Sites 4 and5 in General Santos City and Davao City, both in Mindanao, respectively, according to a report on the website of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The Philippine government and military have kept silent about the departure of the first batch of Malaysia-led IMT, which monitors the ceasefire agreement between the Philippine government and the MILF, the largest Islamic movement in the country.
From Davao, the aircraft will fly to Cotabato City and Zamboango City, also in Mindanao, to get the other contingents before it finally flies back to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday afternoon, according to the MILF.
This is the first phase withdrawal of Malaysian peace monitors and peace keepers from the IMT following the decision of the Malaysian government to start pulling back its contingents in the wake of apparent impasse in the peace talks between the Philippine government and the MILF.
Malaysia announced last month the mandate IMT will not be extended after it expires on Aug. 31 this year due to lack of progress in the talks that it has been brokering.
The IMT was deployed in 2004 after the Philippine government and MILF signed a truce and started peace talks in Kuala Lumpur.
Apart from 60 Malaysians in the IMT, Brunei, Libya, Japan and Canada have also sent a dozen monitors to the IMT. All these countries are expected to end their mission after Malaysia completes its pullout.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article