KL extends peace mission in RP<\/p>\n
PHILIPPINES: Malaysia has agreed to extend by a year the stay
\nof a 60-strong international contingent helping monitor and
\nsafeguard a two-year-old truce between Muslim guerrillas and
\ngovernment troops in the southern Philippines, officials said on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
Most of the foreign cease-fire monitors, composed mainly of
\nMalaysian troops, will end their one-year tour of duty in the
\nsouthern Mindanao region next month, prompting the government and
\nthe guerrillas to ask Malaysia to extend their stay for another
\nyear, Philippine officials and the rebels said.<\/p>\n
Malaysia agreed to the request and will send a new batch of
\nmore than 40 monitors to replace the outgoing ones in the next
\nfew weeks. The first contingent will arrive in Manila on Monday,
\nsaid Malaysian defense attache Abdul Hadi said.<\/p>\n
Brunei and Libya have also contributed to the Malaysian-led
\ncontingent, and will replace their representatives once they have
\ncompleted their one-year assignment, he said.<\/p>\n
The cease-fire has considerably reduced clashes between
\ngovernment troops and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front across
\nMindanao, and allowed the holding of Malaysian-brokered peace
\ntalks aimed at ending a decades-long separatist insurrection that
\nhas killed thousands of people and scuttled economic development.<\/p>\n
Both the government and the rebels welcomed Malaysia's
\ndecision. -- AP<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kl-extends-peace-mission-in-rp-1447893297",
"image": ""
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