General information
Part of Conflict: Philippines: Mindanao
Date of first stated goals of incompatibility: 2011-08-18
Comment on date of first stated goal of incompatibility: The BIFM leader Ameril Umbra Kato announced the formation of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in February 2011, saying that his forces were still part of MILF but independent of the armed wing of the group. He described his group as “the one to continue the fight for the struggle of the Bangsamoro and fight for freedom.”
On 18 August 2011 he officially split from MILF because the latter “wasted its time” by negotiating with the Philippine government for expanded autonomy instead of fighting for an independent Bangsamoro, and on 24 August he renamed the group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement. In the same interview he stated the group’s incompatibility again saying that “For us, this MILF demand for a ‘sub-state’ in Mindanao, for the Moro people to have such outfit that would have jurisdiction over Moro areas, is not the answer to the Moro rebellion. What we want is liberation of the homeland from occupation and dominance of the imperial Manila government”.
Date of first use of armed force: 2012-08-05
Comment on date of first use of armed force: On 5 August 2012, BIFM launched simultaneous attacks on army camps and detachments in four towns in Maguindanao province.
First Battle Related Death: 2012-08-05
Comment on First Battle Related Death: On 5 August 2012, BIFM launched simultaneous attacks on army camps and detachments in four towns in Maguindanao province, resulting in at least three fatalities.
Date when dyad reached 25 battle releated deaths: 2012-08-08
Comment on date when dyad reached 25 battle related deaths: On 5 August 2012, BIFM launched simultaneous attacks on army camps and detachments in four towns in Maguindanao province. After three days of fighting between the Philippine Army and the BIFM, 25 people had been killed in Maguindanao and North Cotabato provinces.
Conflict issues
Conflict Goal Issues: The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement (BIFM) was a rebel group that splintered from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2011. Their leader - Ameril Umbra Kato – was a former MILF commander with a history of rogue activity. In 2008, Kato’s then MILF forces engaged in violence after the MILF-Philippine Government peace deal collapsed due to constitutional issues. Kato promoted a radical Wahhabi interpretation of Islam, and was unsatisfied with MILF compromises on their original independence demands. In 2011, Kato vowed to carry “the banner of Islam as far as the revolution for Moro independence is concerned.” The BIFM initially declared that they were fighting for an independent Islamic state that “abides by the teachings of the Qur’an” and could “liberate minority Muslims from crushing poverty and neglect.”
Conflict goal issues were consistent over the six-year coding period. The BIFM frequently stated that it was fighting for an independent Islamic state “based on the Islamic faith and the Sharia Law.” In 2016, a spokesperson for the BIFM explained that they were also “fighting for their identity as well as their…economic rights.”
The BIFM followed in the pattern of their predecessors. When autonomy appeared to be the likely negotiated solution by the MILF, the BIFM splintered to “carry the banner” for original independence demands. The central conflict goal of the BIFM is an independent Islamic state. The BIFM’s spokesperson put it this way: “Only Moro independence is the answer. Nothing can be a better medicine to the Bangsamoro problem.”
Conflict Dynamics Issues: The BIFM described atrocities committed by the Philippine Government against civilians as their initial conflict dynamic issue. The group consistently described the government as “the real oppressors and terrorists.” In 2014 and 2016, the BIFM lamented foreign “land grabbers” and “settlers” that seek to “crush our struggle.” The central conflict dynamic issues are atrocities/abuses and DFI: removal of foreigners.
Conflict Resolution Issues: The conflict resolution issues raised by BIFM should be seen in the context of government negotiations with the group that BIFM splintered from, the MILF. In their first year of existence, BIFM was opposed to all negotiations with the Philippine government. In 2012, BIFM opposed the MILF-Philippine government framework agreement. Throughout their activity, BIFM consistently opposed any peace negotiations, frameworks, or agreements between MILF and the Philippine government.
Type of conflict issues: 2011/09/26 (Renegade commander says not to join Philippines Moro group, BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific)
2011/08/19 (Rogue MILF commander forms splinter group, Associated Press)
2016/03/21 (BIFF throws dare at Roxas for uttering 'Muslim na mananakop', Philippine Daily Inquirer)
2014/04/28 (Militants burn Uncle Sam effigy in Quezon, Philippine Daily Inquirer)
2016/03/21 (BIFF throws dare at Roxas for uttering 'Muslim na mananakop', Philippine Daily Inquirer)
2011/03/31 (Moro to decide on breakaway group before resuming talks with Philippines, BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific)
2016/01/03 (‘BIFF attacks have nothing to do with BBL’, The Philippine Star)
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
2010
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Philippines): n/a
Side B (BIFM): n/a
2011
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Philippines): n/a
Side B (BIFM): n/a
2012
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 58 |
| Best | 35 |
| Low | 35 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Philippines): n/a
Side B (BIFM): n/a
2013
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 127 |
| Best | 62 |
| Low | 62 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Philippines): n/a
Side B (BIFM): n/a
2014
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 145 |
| Best | 138 |
| Low | 134 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Philippines): n/a
Side B (BIFM): n/a
2015
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 304 |
| Best | 178 |
| Low | 178 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Philippines): n/a
Side B (BIFM): n/a
2016
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 74 |
| Best | 71 |
| Low | 57 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Philippines): n/a
Side B (BIFM): n/a
2017
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Philippines): n/a
Side B (BIFM): n/a
2018
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Philippines): n/a
Side B (BIFM): n/a
2019
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Philippines): n/a
Side B (BIFM): n/a
Dyad Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
2010 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2011 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2012 Dyad Archive
Comment on Active: BIFM emerged as a new group fighting the Philippine government during 2012. The group split from MILF in 2011 following the latter’s decision to drop the demand of independence from the Philippines and instead negotiate for extended autonomy. Clashes were concentrated to Maguindanao and Cotabato provinces and took place in August 2012.
Negotiations: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2013 Dyad Archive
Comment on Active: BIFM continued to fight the Philippine government during 2013. The group split from MILF in 2011 following the latters decision to drop the demand of independence from the Philippines and instead negotiate for extended autonomy. Clashes were concentrated to Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato provinces and included attacks on BIFM bases, ambushes, attacks on army camps, and homemade bomb attacks.
Negotiations: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2014 Dyad Archive
Comment on Active: BIFM continued to fight the Philippine government. The group split from MILF in 2011 following the latters decision to drop the demand of independence from the Philippines and instead negotiate for extended autonomy. Clashes were concentrated to Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato provinces and included attacks on attacks on army installations but also ambushes and homemade bomb attacks. After the CAB was signed in March 2014, BIFM vowed to continue the fight for a separate Muslim nation.
Negotiations: NO
Comment on Negotiations: No negotiations took place in the Government - BIFM dyad during 2014
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2015 Dyad Archive
Negotiations: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
Type of termination: Not terminated
2016 Dyad Archive
Comment on Active: Fighting with BIFM continued during 2016, with a government offensive launched in February. The operation resulted in the capture of a major BIFM camp in Maguindanao.
Negotiations: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: Other
Date of termination: 2016-04-20
Comment on Termination: Fighting with BIFM continued during 2016, with a government offensive launched in February. The operation resulted in the capture of a major BIFM camp in Maguindanao. The group became part of IS on 20 April 2016, and their activity after that date is recorded in the conflict over the territory called Islamic State.
2017 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2018 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2019 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
