Friday, February 8, 2008

Moro National Liberation Front
The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) is a political organization in the Philippines. It is accredited by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which allows it to represent Moros with an observer status. Currently, the group is the ruling party of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

History
In the early 1970s, the MNLF was organized by Nur Misuari with the intention of creating an independent "Moro Nation". To achieve this goal, the group initiated rebel activities. This led to the Islamic Insurgency in the Philippines.
Seeking an end to the hostilities, the Philippine government decided to hold a peace deal in 1976. Unfortunately, both sides were unable to settle on an agreement so hostilities continued for the next two decades.
As the hostilities continued, the group began to suffer from internal factionalism. Disagreements between moderates and conservatives began to arouse after the reluctance of the MNLF to hold a violent insurgency. In 1981, this caused the more conservative Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MilF) to break off from the group.
In 1996, a compromise was finally reached by MNLF and by the government,. This gave autonomy to the areas with Muslim majorities. The area is currently called the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

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