Algeria- Chad talks to hand over al-Seifi

The Algerian government is carrying out talks with the republic of Chad over reaching an agreement according to which an Islamist held by a rebels group in Chad since several months will be handed over.

The Algerian minister of the interior, Nour Eddine Zarhouni, said in statements issued yesterday that Algeria seeks through these talks with the government of Njamina to hand over Ammar al-Seifi who is presumed to have links to al-Qaida organization to be represented before the Algerian judiciary.

These talks are viewed as the last haven after the collapse of negotiations between Algeria and Chad's rebels holding al-Seifi, who is accused also by Germany of kidnapping 23 European tourists including Germans in the Greater Desert in 2003.

Rebels in Chad warned last Friday they will be shortly obliged to take a decision over the fate of members of "al-Salafeyah group for fighting and call", unless Algeria receives them.

Security experts said that the handing over operation was delayed because the government in Chad refused any direct contact between Algeria and the rebels in Chad.

On the other hand, the Algerian security forces announced it had killed two of the gunmen on Saturday in Sida province to the northern west of Algeria. It had also announced earlier it had killed other three on Thursday evening in Bumerdas area, 50 Km to the east of the capital Algiers.