CAMP DARAPANAN, Philippines (Reuters) – The largest Muslim guerrilla group in the Philippines hopes to conclude a peace deal with the government within a year despite the emergence of a breakaway faction that could put talks at risk.

The 11,000-member Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been fighting for Muslim self-determination in the south of the mainly Roman Catholic country. The conflict has killed 120,000 people, displaced 2 million and stunted growth in the poor but resource rich area.
“If the government shows its sincerity and the president displays a political will to resolve this problem, we are very confident a peace agreement can be reached in one year,” rebel leader al haj Ebrahim Murad told reporters.
Murad held a news conference at the end of two weeks of consultations with Muslim political, religious, military and civil society leaders in a guerrilla base on the southern island of Mindanao.
“I am optimistic that in a short time, we can come out with the proper political formula from the negotiating table. We have the beginning of a just peace in the Bangsamoro homeland in our time and generation,” he said, using the Muslims' name for their region.
During the consultations, Murad said they learned that many of their supporters were getting impatient over delays in the peace talks and some field commanders were urging them to abandon the talks and resume fighting.
Neighboring, Muslim-majority Malaysia has brokered the talks since 2001.