Lamitan, 28 June (AKI) - The presence of foreign-based terrorist organisations in the southern Philippines such as al-Qaeda and the southeast Asia-based Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) is stopping significant amounts of overseas aid being sent to the conflict-ridden Muslim minority stronghold of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, an expert has warned. "The United States and even the Australian believe there are still terrorists actively operating in Mindanao,” Astrid Tuminez a senior researcher at a US Congress backed think-tank - the United States Institute of Peace (USIP)- told Adnkronos International (AKI). USIP is working to build dialogue between local Islamist rebels and the government on Mindanao. Tuminez was attending the 5th Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Business Congress, which closed in Lamitan, Basilan province, on Tuesday. The event sought to present business opportunities in the region - the poorest in the Philippines - to foreign and national investors.
An armed struggle for independence in Mindanao waged by Islamist and Communist rebels has been ongoing for some forty years, causing over 120,000 victims. Sporadic violence has continued despite a 2003 ceasefire and peace talks.