Philippine President Declares New Ceasefire With Rebels Ahead of Peace Talks
16:54 20.08.2016
President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte declares restoration of peace talks with a new unilateral truce with the New People's Army (NPA), the armed wing of the country's Communist Party, according to official statement.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte declared a new unilateral truce with the New People's Army (NPA), the armed wing of the country's Communist Party, on Saturday ahead of the Oslo peace talks, a statement issued by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process revealed.
"Today, the President restores the effects of ceasefire declaration precisely at this strategic time when we are all at the onset of the formal resumption of peace talks that had previously stalled for the last four years. The operational guideline of the said ceasefire declaration for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police and other security units are also hereby restored," the statement says.
The previous ceasefire was introduced on July 25, but was withdrawn at Duterte's request five days after it was declared in response to the rebels' attack on soldiers.
On Friday night, the leftist rebels announced a separate seven-day ceasefire with the government until August 27. The announcement came after the government freed two top imprisoned leaders, who will take part in peace talks in Norway, slated for Monday. The communists said they would agree for a longer truce but only after all prisoners are freed. Currently, the government detains a total of 550 guerrillas.
The Philippines government is mired in a long-lasting standoff with the leftist rebels, which has led to about 40,000 deaths. At the beginning of 2011, the conflicting sides tried to reach a ceasefire deal, but it broke down in February of 2013 after Duterte's predecessor Benigno Aquino refused to free the jailed guerillas.
© Sputnik
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