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| Africa Horn |
| New calls for reconciliation in Algeria |
| 2009-04-03 |
| [Maghrebia] Four repentant leaders of Algeria's Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) issued a fresh appeal to Islamist militants to surrender under the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation. The statement joins a series of appeals coming to light in the run up to the April 9th presidential elections. The call, appearing in Algerian newspapers on Wednesday (April 1st), is signed by four former leaders of the GSPC/al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb who have already sought amnesty: Abu Omar Abdelbari, a former communications cell official, Abu Zakaria, former leader of the medical division, Moussaab Abu Daoud, former leader of Region 9 (Sahara), and Abu Amar Hadhifa El Maréchal, former leader of Region 5 (east). Inspired by recent calls from religious leaders and former GSPC commander Hassan Hattab, the four leaders came forward to ask their former comrades in arms to renounce armed struggle and benefit from the reconciliation programme. "Days, months and years have gone by, and each of us is waiting for the day when this tragedy can come to an end," their statement reads. "The era of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) is over." "We were your comrades-in-arms in the past, and your leaders... We ask you to rejoin us and return to your lives among your families, who are waiting for you. You will also have the support of the faithful. They will be the first to greet you on your return." "How can you stay in the mountains, trying to change what you cannot change?" The four say in the statement. "How can you contradict the ulemas, who are the heirs of the prophets?" A number of terrorists have already surrendered as a result of the building pressure. On March 31st, three armed Islamists surrendered to security forces in Benchoud, 90km east of Algiers. They were working within the Al Ansar military wing, whose former leader Ali Ben Touati (aka Abou Tamim) surrendered in Tizi Ouzou in January. Madani Mezrag, the former leader of the Islamic Salvation Army (AIS), the armed wing of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), said on Wednesday in the Echourouk forum that the GSPC and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb are in fact two manifestations of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), which adopted the doctrine of takfir [declaring Muslims unbelievers]. Mezrag also criticised al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri for calling on terrorists to "liberate" Algeria just as the country returned to stability. Armed activity is not the best means to achieve political objectives, he continued. "We shall never agree to the State being broken and we are not working to that end." |
| Posted by:Fred |