Philippines: Rebel attack in Mindanao threatens peace negotiations

Event

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to cancel planned peace talks with communist rebels. The announcement came after the New People’s Army guerilla group allegedly carried out an attack on a presidential security convoy on Wednesday, July 19, on Mindanao Island, where martial law is in effect. Duterte called on all guerilla groups to commit to suspending operations against government troops and stop all extortion activities in the south, without which peace negotiations would not resume in August as planned.

Context

A major armed conflict has been ongoing in Marawi City (Mindanao island) since May 23, following a botched government raid on a hideout sheltering Isnilon Hapilon, a commander of the Abu Sayyaf militant group.

The Philippine government is currently battling various militant Islamist groups laying siege to the city, including Islamic State (IS)-affiliated Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), the Abu Sayyaf militant group, and the Maute group. Around 246,000 people have been displaced by the fighting. The conflict is part of a wider decades-old insurgency in marginalized Muslim-majority areas of the Philippines.

Advice

Individuals are advised to avoid the region surrounding Marawi City, to monitor the situation, and to obey all instructions issued by the local authorities.

As a reminder, most Western governments formally advise against all travel to southwest Mindanao and to the Sulu Archipelago due to terrorist activity, regular clashes between the military and insurgent groups, and the risk of kidnapping by Abu Sayyaf.