DATE=7/5/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251446
TITLE=ALGERIA VIOLENCE (L ONLY)
BYLINE=RICHARD ENGEL
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: OFFICIALS IN ALGERIA HAVE STARTED TO RELEASE IMPRISONED
ISLAMIC MILITANTS AS PART OF AN OFFICIAL AMNESTY POLICY. RICHARD
ENGEL IN CAIRO REPORTS ALGERIAN MILITANT LEADERS SAY THE MOVE MAY
HELP ALGERIA'S NEW GOVERNMENT END THE NATION'S SEVEN-YEAR CIVIL
WAR.
TEXT: DOZENS OF ISLAMIC MILITANTS WALKED OUT OF THEIR JAIL CELLS
FREE MEN. THEY WERE GREETED BY FAMILY MEMBERS, MANY OF WHOM WERE
SHEDDING TEARS OF JOY.
THE RELEASES COME ONE DAY AFTER ALGERIA'S NEWLY-ELECTED
PRESIDENT, ABDEL AZIZ BOUTEFLIKA, PROMISED TO RELEASE ABOUT
FIVE-THOUSAND ISLAMIC MILITANTS WHO WERE CONVICTED OF RELATIVELY
MINOR CRIMES.
LATE SUNDAY, THE COORDINATING COUNCIL OF THE "ISLAMIC SALVATION
FRONT", ONE OF ALGERIA'S MOST POWERFUL AND BANNED ISLAMIC
ORGANIZATIONS, WELCOMED THE RELEASES. THE COUNCIL SAID THE MOVE
IS, IN ITS WORDS -- A POSITIVE STEP -- AND INSISTED THE PRISONERS
HAD BEEN UNJUSTLY DETAINED.
ALGERIAN OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE RELEASING ONLY ISLAMISTS WHO WERE
NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN ACTS OF VIOLENCE, BUT MERELY PROVIDED
THE MILITANTS WITH LOGISTIC AND MATERIAL SUPPORT. THE GOVERNMENT
SAYS THOSE CONVICTED OF MURDER, RAPE, AND PLACING BOMBS WILL
REMAIN BEHIND BARS.
THE AMNESTY COMES AS ALGERIA CELEBRATES 37-YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE
FROM FRANCE. ANALYSTS SAY IT IS AN IMPORTANT STEP FOR PRESIDENT
BOUTEFLIKA WHO HAS MADE ENDING THE NATION'S CIVIL WAR A MAIN
OBJECTIVE SINCE HIS ELECTION IN APRIL.
THE ALGERIAN PRESIDENT SAID 100-THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE DIED SINCE
THE FIGHTING IN THE NORTH-AFRICAN NATION BEGAN IN 1992 -- THE
YEAR THE GOVERNMENT BLOCKED AN ELECTION THE ISLAMISTS APPEARED
POISED TO WIN. (SIGNED)
NEB/RHE/JWH
05-Jul-99 10:53 AM EDT (1453 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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