Mindanao conflict

The Mindanao conflict refers to overlapping insurgencies in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, rooted in grievances of the Moro (Muslim Filipino) population over land, autonomy, and historical marginalization following American colonial resettlement policies and incorporation into the predominantly Catholic Philippine state.

The conflict's modern phase began in the late 1960s, catalyzed by the 1968 Jabidah massacre, in which Moro military recruits were reportedly killed by Philippine soldiers. In 1972, Nur Misuari founded the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which launched an armed campaign for independence. A breakaway faction, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), formed in 1977 under Hashim Salamat and pursued a more explicitly Islamist agenda.

Key peace milestones include:

• The 1976 Tripoli Agreement between the Marcos government and the MNLF, brokered by Libya and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
• The 1996 Final Peace Agreement between the Ramos administration and the MNLF, which established the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
• The 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) between the Aquino government and the MILF, which led to the Bangsamoro Organic Law (Republic Act 11054) in 2018 and the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) following plebiscites in 2019.

Parallel conflicts complicate the picture: the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People's Army (CPP-NPA) insurgency operates across Mindanao, and jihadist groups including Abu Sayyaf and Islamic State–aligned factions seized Marawi City in 2017, triggering a five-month battle that displaced hundreds of thousands.

Estimates of cumulative deaths since 1969 range above 120,000. The BARMM transition, originally set to conclude in 2022, was extended to 2025, with decommissioning of MILF combatants and normalization continuing under the Bangsamoro Transition Authority.