Two Norwegian peace monitors arrive in Mindanao

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InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao -- Norway has renewed its commitment to help bring about peace in southern Philippines by sending another Norwegian contingent to the International Monitoring Team tasked to monitor the implementation of the government and Moro rebels ceasefire agreement in Mindanao.

The Norwegian contingent arrived Friday and reported to the IMT-7 headquarters in Cotabato City.

Sir Kjell Harila was also named Chief Operations Officer at the IMT Headquarters, which also being manned by military, police and civilian officers from the governments of Malaysia, as Head of Mission; European Union, Norway, Japan and Brunei.

Harila and Sir Tor Fredrik Moe are the two Norwegian officers with the IMT Mindanao Batch 7 (M7).

IMT M7, led by Major General Dato’ Abdul Rahim bin Mohd Yusuff of the Royal Malaysian Armed Forces, commenced their one-year tour of duty on March 13, 2012.

The IMT is mandated by both the GPH and MILF to monitor the implementation of the two parties’ agreements on security (ceasefire), civilian protection, socio-economic, humanitarian, rehabilitation and development.

Originally, the government and MILF peace panels asked Norway to be the Head Coordinator in monitoring civilian protection accord within the mandate of the IMT.

But Norway opted to work on the security aspect.

Said Shiek, chairman of the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities and also a member of the MILF Central Committee, conveyed the gratitude of the MILF to government of Norway and its people for its unfaltering commitment and assistance for the GPH–MILF Peace Process, particularly on the ceasefire accord.

Brigadier General Ariel Bernardo, GPH-ceasefire panel chair, also expressed gratitude to Norway's commitment to the attainment of peace in southern Philippines.

Both Bernardo and Shiek gave assurance of full cooperation with the IMT Norwegian contingent.

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