Algeria rejects Lebanon's offer to help

Algeria's ambassador to Lebanon, Hassan Bou Fares, has announced his country's total rejection of a Lebanese offer to form an Arab committee to help end violence in the north African country. Bou Fares, after meeting with the secretary-general of the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, Zafer al-Hassan, said recent Lebanese statements had "irritated the Algerian government."

"We do not offer initiatives, but we reject interference in our internal affairs in Algeria," Bou Fares told reporters.

The Algerian diplomat, however, said he "doubted" the Lebanese offer to help was made out of ill intentions, adding that the incident would probably not have a negative effect on relations between the two countries.

At last week's cabinet meeting, Lebanese leaders announced they were contacting Arab leaders to establish a committee to help end the crisis in Algeria.

A better way to express solidarity with the Algerian people, according to Bou Fares, would have been a condemnation of terrorist groups committing the atrocities and massacres against civilians.

More than 1,500 people have been slaughtered in Algeria since the beginning of the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan, and thousands of others killed since 1992, when violence broke out.

Press reports over the weekend said the Algerian government had summoned the Lebanese ambassador in Algiers twice to protest Lebanon's mediation efforts and to officially inform him of Algeria's rejection of such offers.