COTABATO
The governor of Moro, southern city of Philippines, Mujiv Hataman told AA correspondent on Thursday that peace agreement signed with Philippine government is vital.
He said that Muslims living in Mindanao region were pleased to see an agreement reached between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) earlier this week.
Hataman said that ending the fight that has killed more than 100 thousand people, the agreement is vital.
Saying that the people of Philippines were waiting that agreement for years, Hataman added that Moro Muslims were crying in the streets because of happiness. He said that Moro Muslims will pursue several rights in the coming future.
He also stated the importance of applying the agreement, called on both parties to take steps for an ultimate result and wished the agreement would bring peace and prosperity to Moro Muslims.
The governor said that businessmen from Turkey, Malesia and China got in touch with him for investment purposes.
He also said that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Turkey and other Muslim countries as well as the negotiation broker Malesia, supported them during the peace process.
The agreement
As part of the agreement, the new autonomous region in Mindanao will be called Bangsamoro and Muslims would have wide authority. The Muslims of Mindanao hope that the agreement reached would give them new economic, social and political rights by 2016.
The preliminary framework deal -reached after 15 years of negotiations brokered by Malaysia- constitutes a roadmap to a final settlement which would allow for an autonomous region administered by minority Muslims in the south of this predominantly Catholic country.
The agreement was signed in a ceremony on October 15, in Manila's Malacanang Presidential Palace with the participation of President Benigno Aquino III and Liberation Front leader AL Haj Murad Ebrahim. Also present at the ceremony were Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, secretary general of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu as well as heads of foreign diplomatic missions including Turkish Ambassadress to Philippines Hatice Pinar Isik.
Reporting by Murat Demirci
