Violence continues in Algeria as 56 more die

Islamic fundamentalist rebels have killed as many as 56 people in the last three days in violence that has continued despite government concessions to their movement, an Algerian newspaper reported.

The massacres also came despite calls by the leader of the outlawed Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) for the bloodshed to end.

President Laimine Zeroual announced that municipal elections will be held on October 23, a final step in restoring elected institutions which have crumbled during five and a half years of violence between Muslim militants and security forces.

The daily Lematin reported that 39 people, including a family of 15, were massacred in the village of Yemma M'ghita in the Blida area, and an armed group of about 20 men killed eight people in attacks on two families in the nearby garrison town of Benachour, slitting the throats of four women and three men and decapitating a three-year-old child.

The violence continues despite the statements of the FIS executive in exile, who said the release of Madani was a "certain and effective contribution" to the return to peace in Algeria. Madani himself called for the violence to end. "We're going to explode the bombs of life " he said, stressing that, "all we want is for it to stop." But the FIS leader stopped short of calling for a truce.

The municipal elections will pave the way for 1,541 districts in 48 departments to democratically elect municipal counselors.

Many districts were stripped of elected counselors after the military annulled the 1991 legislative elections and banned the FIS. The previous elections in June 1990 were widely won by FIS members who were removed when the party was outlawed; they have since been run by government-appointed officials.

Previous