An overview of the emergence of, and conflicts and peace processes involving, the MNLF and MILF.

1. Moro National Liberation Front
(MNLF)

2. Moro National Liberation Front
• created 1969 by Nur Misuari
• tension between the native Muslim population and the newly-arrived
Christian population sparked its creation
• to establish an independent Muslim state in the Bangsamoro region
• to establish an egalitarian society (Open Society), tolerant of all
religions

3. Conflict, Violence and Resolutions
• MNLF began a rebellion against the gov’t on October 1972
• Government troops and Muslim rebels clashed
• Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) appealed to the gov’t to
end its repression of Muslims
• President Marcos ordered a ceasefire, proposed a peace plan 
MNLF rejected
• OIC mediated between the gov’t & MNLF in Tripoli  parties agreed
to a cessation of military hostilities

4. Conflict, Violence and Resolutions
• On March 1977, Marcos issued a proclamation establishing an
autonomous region in the south
• Referendum was boycotted by the MNLF
• Government troops and Muslim rebels clashed
• Muslims fled to Sabah as refugees
• President Corazon Aquino & MNLF representatives signed a ceasefire
agreement on September 1986

5. Conflict, Violence and Resolutions
• Gov’t and MNLF signed the Jeddah Accord on January 1987
• MNLF agreed to abandon its campaign for independence in favor of
autonomy for Mindanao island
• MNLF resumed its rebellion against the government
• Approval of a plan providing autonomy of the Moro provinces 
MNLF called upon Muslims to boycott the referendum
• OIC mediated, ceasefire agreement was signed by the gov’t & MNLF

6. Conflict, Violence and Resolutions
• September 1996, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao was
established with Nur Misuari as its governor
• World Bank and Japan provided reconstruction assistance in the
ARMM beginning 2002
• Issue of revenue-sharing from mineral-extraction in the ARMM
• On February 2013, OIC appealed to the gov’t & MNLF to negotiate a
resolution of the remaining issues

7. Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF)

8. Moro Islamic Liberation Front
• founded by Hashim Salamat in 1984
• separated from the Moro National Liberation Front
• rejected the peace agreement signed by the government and the
MNLF which established the Autonomous Region of Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM)
• adhered to its goal of securing an independent Muslim state in the
southern Philippines

9. Conflict, Violence and Resolutions
• MILF rejected the establishment of ARMM
• Government troops launched a military offensive against the MILF
rebels on 1996
• Gov’t announced a unilateral ceasefire on December 1996 and peace
negotiations began on January 1997
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provided emergency
humanitarian assistance for displaced individuals
• Cessation of military hostilities went into effect on July 1997

10. Conflict, Violence and Resolutions
• October 1999, gov’t troops and MILF clashed
• President Estrada pursued an “all-out-war” against the MILF  MILF
declared jihad against the gov’t
• Gov’t troops captured Camp Omar (Maguindanao), Camp Bushra and
Camp Abu Bakr
• Moammar Gadhafi of Libya facilitated negotiations between the
parties in Tripoli on June 2001
• Formal ceasefire agreement was signed in Malaysia on August 2001

11. Conflict, Violence and Resolutions
• On February 2003, gov’t clashed with MILF in Maguindanao
• 22 individuals were killed in a bombing attack at Davao airport on
March 4, 2003; 10 were killed in political violence in Cotabato on
March 26
• Representatives of the gov’t and MILF signed a ceasefire agreement
on 2003
• International Monitoring Team (ITM-Mindanao) was established to
monitor the ceasefire agreement

12. Conflict, Violence and Resolutions
• On July 2008, the gov’t announced a preliminary agreement with the
MILF
• Supreme Court blocked the formal signing of the agreement on
August
• Gov’t troops and MILF clashed
• Malaysia-mediated negotiations resumed on December 2009

13. Conflict, Violence and Resolutions
• Government troops and MILF clashed
• On September 2010, Mohagher Iqbal said that the MILF will concede
to an autonomous substate rather than independence
• October 2012, the representatives of the gov’t and MILF signed the
Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro
• On March 2014, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro
was signed

14. Conflict, Violence and Resolutions
• 44 Members of Philippines National Police Elite Special Action Force
(PNP-SAF), 18 Members of the MILF and 5 civilians were killed in a
clash with members of MILF and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom
Fighters (BIFF) on Sunday January 25, 2015
• Search for Malaysian bomb expert Zulkifli bin Hir (Marwan), who is
reportedly being protected by the BIFF, and has a bounty of
$5,000,000 from the US FBI
• Delay on the approval of Comprehensive Agreement on the
Bansamoro

15. References:
• http://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-
bin/groups/view/379
• http://uca.edu/politicalscience/dadm-project/asiapacific-
region/philippinesmoro-national-liberation-front-1968-present/
• http://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-
bin/groups/view/309
• http://uca.edu/politicalscience/dadm-project/asiapacific-
region/philippinesmoro-islamic-liberation-front-1978-present/