Positive developments in the Algerian crisis
Algeria, Politics, 10/2/1997

Algerian President Liamine Zeroual is expected to visit Saudi Arabia within his tour of Arab capitals since he took office in 1995. This visit is concurrent with the indications that the crisis with the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) is about to be defused.

Zeroual is expected to visit Saudi Arabia next week after he visited Syria and Jordan last month. These visits come within Algeria's efforts to shoulder its Arab responsibilities after it has been preoccupied with its internal problems of violence since 1992.

Sources said that one of the Gulf countries played a major role in getting the views of the Algerian government and the ISF closer to stopping violence and adopting the method of negotiations. A high ranking official from this Gulf country visited Algeria recently to support an agreement between the two sides without entering into any details.

After three months of negotiations with the Chief of Staff of the Algerian Army, the Islamic Salvation Army declared that the two sides decided to halt fire. The agreement was lauded by France, USA, and the Arab countries.

Sources stated that the head of the Islamic Salvation Army, Madani Mezraq, was the one who negotiated with the Algerian government representative who was the commander of the fifth platoon in Kostantina Gen. Rabeh Bogaba.

The Islamic Salvation Army promised to assist the Algerian government in fighting the Armed Islamic Group which is considered to be responsible for most of the massacres committed in Algeria.

A great number of helicopters moved many army units and military weapons to the areas near Awlad Alal in Sidi Moussa whose people amounted to 12 thousand deserted it. Mines which were planted around this area were removed. Sidi Moussa is considered a stronghold of the Armed Group.

Negotiations between the government and the Chief of the Islamic Army started in May 1995 after the negotiations between the government and the Salvation Front failed at that time.

The Salvation leadership abroad supported this negotiation as it sent two letters to French President Jacques Chirac and to the leader of an active Arab country in which it asked them to mediate between the two sides to resume negotiations.

Previous Stories:
  25 terrorists killed in Algeria   (9/30/1997)
  50 terrorists killed by Algerian forces; French mull aid for Algerian truce   (9/29/1997)
  Algerian group calls for cease-fire   (9/25/1997)

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