COTABATO CITY – The government of Brunei Darussalam has renewed its support to the Mindanao peace process in what stakeholders describe as another sign of brightening prospects for the prompt resumption of the protracted peace talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Brunei Deputy Defense Minister Dato Paduka Haji Mustappa Bin Haji Abd Wahab conveyed his government’s commitment to peace and development efforts in Southern Philippines as he led their new nine-man contingents to the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team (IMT), which is assisting the Mindanao peace process.

“I am here in support to convey my government’s continued support to the peace process…We do hope peace will reign in Mindanao…so our Muslim Filipino brothers can finally cope with the development pace,” Wahab told newsmen covering his visit here on Thursday.

Wahab and his entourage visited various sites here including the complex of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and the MILF’s “administrative” zone at Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao.

In a statement, acting ARMM Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong expressed “warm welcome” to the visit of the Brunei defense official, saying it would stimulate growing efforts for the renewal of peace talks between the GRP and the MILF negotiators under the Aquino administration.

Adiong said his seven-month-old administration has embarked on “invigorated efforts” geared towards harmonizing peace and development initiatives with the government’s peace talks with the MILF, citing their sponsorship of the Sept. 20-21 regional peace summit here as one of the “bold steps” in his campaign.

The two-day summit is aimed at infusing all feedbacks gathered by the ARMM government from its five provincial consultative conferences across the region, into a regional peace agenda that would be submitted to the national government, the MILF and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leaderships as reference in the crafting of solutions to the Mindanao conflict.

The visiting Brunei defense minister came with his government’s new nine-man contingents to the IMT led by Lt. Col. Hasmee Bin Haji Abd Wahab.

The incoming monitors from Brunei replaced an equal number of contingents, which flew back home also on Thursday after ending their one-year tour of duty in Mindanao.

The Brunei defense official and his new peace monitors met military officials and MILF leaders led by Chairman Murad Ebrahim in separate meetings Thursday.