Week of Peace
Coinciding with the start of Ramadan this year, a governmentorganized task force has launched a weeklong commemoration of the siege that destroyed the city of Marawi. The special week, culminating in the first anniversary of the start of the siege on May 23, is dedicated to the promotion of lasting peace and the rebuilding of the ruined city.
It is a daunting challenge; peace has been elusive in several areas in Mindanao. Marawi is not new to armed conflict. In 1972, the Moro National Liberation Front attacked several government targets including a university, radio station and a Philippine Constabulary base in the city. But the rebellion was crushed, and Marawi prospered during several decades of relative peace – until last year, when Islamist terrorist Maute militants launched their attack.
The Maute threat was deemed so serious that President Duterte imposed martial law in the city. It is to the credit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that this martial law has not been compared to that of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, and there has been muted protest against its yearlong extension and expansion of its coverage throughout the entire Mindanao.
Martial law, however, is not enough to secure lasting peace in Marawi. The people of the city themselves – a number of whom reportedly supported the Mautes – must become the principal catalysts for peace. Even as they rebuild from the ashes of a bloody conflict, they must guard against the resurgence of the Mautes and the possible arrival in the city of the terrorists’ foreign cohorts, members of the Islamic State who have been driven out of their strongholds in Syria and Iraq.
Marawi residents will get a lot of support not only from the national government but also from the private sector as well as the international community. At the ceremonial launch of the Week of Peace, among those present were European Union Ambassador Franz Jessen and investors from EU states, who vowed to continue assisting in the reconstruction and peace efforts despite President Duterte’s frequent verbal assaults on the EU. The United States, the first country to assist the AFP with missiles, drones and other combat materiel at the start of the siege, is also sustaining its support in rebuilding Marawi.
The road to enduring peace is tortuous, but the city has returned to life. The resilience of residents is the best guarantee that Marawi is headed for recovery.