In the Philippines, Rebels Threaten to Derail Peace Talks

The security environment in the Philippine island of Mindanao could deteriorate further as the government continues peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a militant group based in the country's south. Already an armed conflict is underway in Zamboanga City, where government security forces have clashed with militants planning a demonstration near a government building. Now, four days into an armed standoff, rebels have attacked a new town called Lamitan. Notably, these militants are not members of the group with which the government is negotiating. Rather, they belong to the Moro National Liberation Front, the group from which the Moro Islamic Liberation Front broke in the late 1970s.

Such attacks have typified the Philippine peace process; as Manila nears resolution with rebel groups, fringe elements tend to intensify their efforts either to derail the process altogether or to better position themselves in the negotiations. The current talks involve the creation of a new autonomous region by 2016, but because they exclude the Moro National Liberation Front, Mindanao could expect armed clashes and targeted bombings for the next few years.