Displaying items by tag: rebel group

Efforts to restart peace talks between the Philippine government and the communist New People’s Army have faltered as clashes continue. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr surprised many when he initiated talks, facilitated by the Norwegian government, with the National Democratic Front (NDF), the rebels’ political front. These resulted in an agreement in which both parties acknowledged the underlying grievances at the heart of the conflict and agreed to seek reforms. However, military operations persist, including airstrikes in December in Mindanao which killed nine alleged rebels. The conflict, spanning more than fifty years, has claimed more than 40,000 lives, peaking during the martial law era of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Peace talks have repeatedly collapsed over the years.

In Indonesia's West Papua, rebel leader Eganius Koyega's group kidnapped New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens on 7 February 2023, demanding impossible conditions for his release. Koyega is a member of the West Papuan National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement, which seeks independence. Photos show Mehrtens growing thinner and more unkempt, most often surrounded by fighters armed with guns and bows and arrows. Koyega, known for brutal tactics, has so far evaded Indonesian soldiers despite clashes. TPNPB leaders are urging him to free him for humanity's sake. New Zealand's reluctance to negotiate directly complicates rescue efforts, while Indonesia's military-driven approach has proved ineffective.