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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 21 - 27 September 2000 Issue No. 500 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 21 - 27 September 2000 Issue No. 500
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Elections Development Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Special Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters No more Mister Nice Guy
By Gamal Nkrumah
Libyan largesse is once again hitting the headlines; this time in the conflict-ridden and impoverished southern Philippines, where militant Muslim separatist groups are fighting to secure independence from the predominantly Roman Catholic island-nation of the Philippines. Matters came to a head this week when Philippine President Joseph Estrada ordered a full-scale assault by government forces on the strongholds and jungle hideouts of the militant separatist group Abu-Sayyaf, who are holding Filipino and foreign hostages on the southern Philippine island of Jolo.
While Philippine government forces are hotly pursuing the militants through impenetrable equatorial jungle terrain, the Western media is busy bandying about charges that Libyan ransom money was used by the Abu-Sayyaf group to buy arms and fight Filipino government forces. The Libyans, not surprisingly, vehemently deny the charge. According to the Western media, if money makes the world go round, the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is, at least in the southern Philippines, running the carousel. TIME magazine came up with the headline "Anted-up: Gaddafi paid $25 million in 'development aid' to secure the release of the hostages -- and a publicity coup for himself."
But Libyan officials shrug the charge off. Although Libya has denied paying ransom for the release of the hostages, it is nonetheless heavily involved in development assitance programmes among Muslim communities in the southern Philippines. "We believe that the key to a long-term resolution of the crisis in southern Philippines is development and the elimination of poverty and unemployment," Libyan Ambassador to the Philippines Salem Adam told Al-Ahram Weekly.
"We did not pay ransom. We are opposed to ransom payment. We want to ensure peace and political stability, so the people of the southern Philippines can prosper," said Libyan mediator Rajab Al-Zarrouq, a former Libyan ambassador to the Philippines and a representative of the Al-Gaddafi Foundation. "We want to assist in development projects; to improve the standards of living of the people of the area," Al-Zarrouq said. The Saudi Arabia-based Al-Gaddafi Foundation is headed by Seif Al-Islam Gaddafi, a son of the Libyan leader.
Libya has had a long political association with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the main Filipino Muslim separatist group. The Libyans have also had dealings in the past with Hashim Salamat, who separated from the leadership of the MNLF to form the more militant Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the wake of a fragile peace accord with the Philippine government. The deal cut by MNLF leader Nur Misuari -- and brokered by the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) -- was rejected by Salamat, as well as fringe groups, like Abu Sayyaf.
Abu Sayyaf militants kidnapped a group of Western holidaymakers and Asian workers from a resort on the Malaysian island of Sipadan some five months ago and spirited them across the sea to Jolo, a small island southwest of Mindanao. Today, after internationally acclaimed Libyan mediation, the first batch of hostages have been freed, but two French reporters and 17 Philippine nationals (abducted in a seperate kidnapping) are still being held by Abu-Sayyaf.
The situation was clearly headed for a showdown. Even as Libyan mediation had secured the release of six Western hostages in the last week of August, the Abu Sayyaf group announced that it has abducted Jeffrey Craig Schilling, an African-American convert to Islam who married a Muslim Philippine national, Ivi Osani. Ominously, instead of cash, the Abu Sayyaf group demanded the immediate release of Islamist militants jailed on terrorism charges in the US, including Ramzi Youssef -- accused of bombing New York's World Trade Centre -- in exchange for Schilling, originally from Oakland, California. Claiming that Schilling is spying for the Central Intelligence Agency, Abu Sayyaf have threatened to "liquidate" him if their demands are not met. US officials insist that they will not cut a deal with the Abu-Sayyaf.
"We pray to Allah to end this hostage crisis, which has attracted negative publicity to the Philippines," Philippine Ambassador to Egypt Macabangkit Lanto told Al-Ahram Weekly. "My president pointed out that it was a very difficult decision, but it was a question of national pride. The credibility of the Philippine authority was at stake."
Philippine Armed Forces prepare to do battle with Abu Sayyaf (photo:AFP)Ambassador Lanto is no stranger to the crises of Mindanao. He was a Congressman in 1992-93, representing the Lanau contituency in Mindanao. "I'm a Muslim, and I come from the southern part of the country. I understand the historical roots of the problem; I am a native of that troubled region," Lanto said.
While the international community has been generally appreciative of the decision taken by Estrada to wage a full-scale attack on rebel-held territory, French President Jacques Chirac has strongly condemned the government assault. Two French journalists, abducted when reporting on an earlier hostage drama, are still being held by the Abu-Sayyaf group. "In the early stages, the French were really supportive and an earlier batch of French hostages were freed," Lanto explained. "The two French mediamen went to the southern Philippines despite being warned against doing so by the Philippine authorities. The French reporters were easy prey. The French president is a politician and he utters comments that are welcomed by the French voters."
Happily, it was announced on Wednesday that the two French hostages were freed.
Other Western countries appear to be backing the Philippine offensive. United States Defence Secretary William Cohen visited the Philippine capital Manila on the eve of the assualt on Abu-Sayyaf strongholds. "I think the long-term solution would be to have appropriate training in counter-terrorism types of activities, which we are prepared to assist with," Cohen told reporters in Manila. Cohen met with his Philippine counterpart, Orlando Mercado, as well as Philippine Armed Forces chief Gen. Angelo Reyes and Philippine chief government negotiator Robert Aventajado. He publicly supported Manila's assault on Abu-Sayyaf and reiterated Washington's willingness to help.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines gave its blessing to the Philippine government's assault on areas controlled by the Abu Sayyaf group on Jolo. Militant separatists feed off disenchantment with miserable economic conditions in the southern Philippines, where most Muslims are geographically concentrated. Separatists insist on "unudulterated Islam", and a seperate state governed by Shariah laws. The Abu Sayyaf group are currently holding a large group of Filipino evangelists hostage.
"We recognise that the roots of the Mindanao conflict are deep and complex and can be resolved only by a comprehensive political, economic, social, cultural and even ecological approach," President Estrada declared before ordering his troops to hunt down members of Abu-Sayyaf. "We are not zeroing in on Muslims."
