Crescent International
The Central Committee of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) announced the death of its leader, Ustad Salamat Hashim, on August 5. The MILF’s official spokesman, Eid Kabalu, said that Ustad Hashim had died of heart failure in the town of Butig, in the southern province of Lanao Del Sur, on July 13, but his death had not previously been announced in order to "respect the procedures" within the MILF.
At the same time, Kabalu also announced that the MILF Central Committee had elected Al-Haj Murad Ibrahim as its new Chairman to succeed Ustad Hashim. The MILF has been fighting for independence from Filipino rule and the establishment of an Islamic State in Mindanao for over two decades. Ustad Hashim was also known for his committment to forging closer links between Muslim communities in south-east Asia.
Crescent International published a detailed interview with Ustad Hashim in March 1999.
Kabalu also confirmed that the MILF was prepared to go ahead with peace talks with the Philippine government that are scheduled to take place in Malaysia shortly. Ustad Salamat had been due to lead the MILF delegation. Kabalu said that it was not certain that Al-Haj Murad Ibrahim would do so in Ustad Hashim’s place, as the central committee has not yet taken a decision on the matter.
On August 4, the day before the announcement of Ustad Hashim’s death, the MILF’s Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities had had a meeting with its government counterpart in Cotabato City. Benjie Midtimbang, the head of the MILF committee, said that the two sides had agreed to strengthen the ceasefire and to ask foreign countries to send monitoring teams to the region to monitor it.
The US is expected to play a central part in the negotiations in Malaysia, and president George W. Bush is reported to want to be present at any future signing of a peace settlement.
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