Algeria Extends Deadline For Seeking Amnesty President Trying To End Years Of Holy Wars Through Surrenders

Washington Post PARIS - President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s high-stakes gamble to put an end to eight years of carnage in Algeria by pardoning repentant rebels has lapsed into disarray.

Although more than 1,000 rebels reportedly have surrendered, anti-government guerrilla armies were riven with dissension and even internal bloodshed over the government amnesty offer. Algerian military forces, meanwhile, were said to be preparing a concerted assault on radical Muslim rebel strongholds.

After taking power in an uncontested April election, Bouteflika on July 13 gave the Islamic holy warriors who have plagued the North African country since 1992 a chance to surrender without penalty and join his movement for “national concord.”

But, he warned, government security forces would crush those who spurned the six-month amnesty offer and continued to slaughter Algerians. More than 100,000 rebels, soldiers and innocent civilians have died in the civil war.

The deadline was up Thursday at midnight, but Algerian newspapers reported that the amnesty offer had been extended informally to allow more surrenders. Bouteflika, who had signaled his intention to address the nation on television Friday night, instead has remained silent.

The number of repentant rebels prepared to accept amnesty from their longtime adversaries is unknown, as is the number who might remain armed and ready to fight on. Analysts say both numbers are in the low four figures.

Most of the worst killing, burning, looting and raping that has scarred the former French colony has been laid to the Armed Islamic Group, the largest and most feared of the rebel organizations. Most of the group’s members have spurned the amnesty offer.

Events of the last few days suggest Bouteflika’s strategy had divided other guerrilla groups without giving him a clear-cut success.

In a pre-deadline capitulation, one of the major adversary groupings, the Islamic Salvation Army, on Wednesday officially dissolved itself. Encouraged by tactical victory, Bouteflika immediately granted its members official state absolution.