UN delegation talks with Algerian premier
Algeria, Politics, 7/24/1998

A round of talks was held on Thursday in Algiers between Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmad Attaf and a group of international figures led by former Portuguese President Mario Soares, currently on a two-week fact-finding visit to the country.

Attaf gave a detailed briefing on developments in Algeria since 1994, in the context of deepening the democratic process in the country. He indicated the economic and political reforms which were able to build the country's institutions. He highlighted the challenges Algeria confronts in the year 2000.

Starting its fact finding talks, the U.N. Team, led by Former Portuguese President Mario Soares, held a closed meeting in Algiers earlier Thursday with Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, Map reported.

The Movement for a Peaceful Society (Hamas), condemned the visit of the US delegation and said it represents a kind of foreign interference that expresses the failure of Algerian diplomacy in performing its official role.

Attaf underlined that the team will be given freedom of movement within the parameters of a purely information-gathering mission. Kamal Qammazi, a leading member of the outlawed Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), told Kuwaiti news agency "Kuna" the team did not ask for any meeting with leaders from the FIS.

Meanwhile the Algerian joint security forces killed 17 Armed Islamic Group members during mopping-up operations carried out in Sedi Ali Bu Nab district on the borders between Teizi Ozo and Zobu Mirdas provinces since the beginning of the current week.

The Algerian daily al-Khabar issued Thursday said the Armed Islamic Group had killed three traders on the road linking al-Idrisieh town and al-Mesran district in al-Jalfa province at a fake roadblock.

For its part, the French language daily Liberty said that three municipal guard members were killed and another 12 were wounded following a mine explosion when they were carrying out a mopping-up operation in Bukhneish mountain, near Jejil last Tuesday.

Previous Stories:
  Red Cross mission to visit Algerian prisons   (7/23/1998)
  Algerian massacres and other issues to be looked at by international delegation   (7/22/1998)
  Eleven massacred fifteen from army dead in Algeria   (7/20/1998)

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