Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels react to a live telecast of the signing of a peace agreement during a rally at Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat, Mindanao. [Ted Aljibe/AFP]

Joyous shouts of "Allahu akbar" echoed across the headquarters of the Philippines' biggest Muslim rebel group, as a pact to end four decades of bloodshed was signed Thursday (March 28th).

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) ended its decades-long rebellion that claimed tens of thousands of lives when its leaders signed a deal in Manila that would create a new autonomous Muslim homeland in the southern Philippines.

Hundreds of rebels shouted with joy as they watched the historic moment on television in a grassy field in Mindanao.

Usop Pasigan, 65, said he took up arms at the age 17 and lost three brothers in the fighting. Now he just wants to farm and see his son live a normal life.

"I hope my boy will be able to finish college and not be a MILF fighter, like me," Pasigan told AFP.

For Jamira Mapagkasunggot, 56, a member of the MILF women's auxiliary battalion, peace would mean being able to live without the constant fear of death.

"Most of the women have lost a father, a son or a nephew," she told AFP at Camp Darapanan, where rebels and their families live inside a sprawling compound of coconut groves and corn fields.

Rogue groups

But Mapagkasunggot acknowledged potential pitfalls lie ahead.

"We fear some groups might not be supportive of these peace talks," she said, referring to smaller armed groups that oppose the peace process.

Among them is the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), which split from the MILF in 2008. The BIFF has just a few hundred militants, according to the military, but it has launched deadly attacks in the past to disrupt the peace process.

Another armed group not covered by the peace accord is al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf, which specialises in kidnapping for ransom.

The MILF, which has about 10,000 fighters, has committed to working with the government to neutralise the threat of rogue groups such as the BIFF, meaning future battles against former comrades are possible.

MILF peace panel chief Mohagher Iqbal shakes hands with government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel Ferrer during the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro at the Malacanang Palace in Manila on Thursday (March 27th). [Noel Celis/AFP]

Accord faces hurdles

Meanwhile, President Benigno Aquino must still secure approval from Congress for a "Basic Law" that would create the autonomous region.

The MILF leadership is also aware that other peace efforts have failed.

In 1996, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) signed a peace deal with the government in return for the creation of a Muslim autonomous area. But critics said the autonomous area did not give Muslims enough powers.

Under the new peace deal, the new autonomous region would replace the old one, angering factions of the MNLF and opening another potential front for conflict.

MNLF founder Nur Misuari's followers attacked Zamboanga in September last year in an effort to derail the peace talks. The military responded with an unrelenting assault in which more than 100 MNLF fighters were killed.

In a speech at the signing ceremony, Aquino warned he was prepared to unleash his troops on any armed group opposed to the peace process.

"Those who want to test the resolve of the state will be met with a firm response based on righteousness and justice, as we demonstrated in Zamboanga," Aquino said.