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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 April 2000 Issue No. 478 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 April 2000 Issue No. 478
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Heritage Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters The year of living boldly
By Amira HoweidyA few days ago, the Algerian embassy in Cairo distributed a book published by the Algerian presidency, titled Civil Concord: letters and statements of support addressed to the president' to a number of journalists, writers and intellectuals. Coinciding with the anniversary of President Abdel-Aziz Bouteflika's first year in office, the implicit purpose of the book seems to be to remind the public that it was Bouteflika who initiated the current attempt to end eight years of violence which in many ways has become synonymous with Algeria.
But a year after he took over following the controversial presidential elections boycotted in the eleventh hour by his six opponents who cried fraud, Bouteflika has not stopped the violence. Besides the brutal assassination of the outlawed Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) figure Abdel-Kader Hachani last November by gunmen who remain "unknown," the death toll is still on the rise.
According to estimates by the Algerian press, militant groups continue to kill more than 100 people every month, even though the horrific accounts of the violence rarely make it into the papers these days. With a decree still in force that requires the screening of any "security-related" information by the military before it goes into press, acquiring accurate information about this violence remains impossible.
In its statement marking Bouteflika's first year in power, the FIS said, "Contrary to what the government is propagating, the crisis of the Algerian people is still far from solved." Massacres are still conducted and the prisons "remain packed," the statement added. However, it did hail Bouteflika's recent invitation to four international human rights organisations to visit Algeria and investigate accusations that human rights had been violated. These groups, said the FIS statement, should "insist on visiting Sheikhs Abassi Madani and Ali Belhaj."
Madani, leader of the FIS, was released from prison in 1997 and placed under house arrest, and Belhaj, his deputy, is still in prison despite the deterioration of his health.
Bouteflika's invitation to Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Human Rights Federation and Reporters Sans Frontières made earlier this month, is part of his efforts to improve his country's image in the eyes of the international community. Although the visit, which is scheduled for next month, will be limited to meetings with authorities, opposition parties and local activists, the mere fact that the invitation was extended signals Bouteflika's interest in establishing normal relations with these organisations.
Indeed, Bouteflika's main accomplishment during the past year, observers argue, is reestablishing his country's presence on the international political scene. The Algerian president's active participation in both Arab and international summits overshadowed claims that the army was responsible for extra-judicial killings, abductions and torture of Islamists and accusations that the authorities had failed to protect villages.
By hosting the Organisation for African Unity (OAU) meeting in Algiers last July, Bouteflika did much to debunk the view that his country is still unsafe. Moreover, his appearance at the Cranes Montana economic forum in Switzerland, where he said that the action of cancelling the 1992 elections was "an act of violence," earned him the reputation of being a bold leader. This admission seems to have appealed to Western governments and public opinion.
But critics argue that Bouteflika might have taken his attempts to reinvigorate Algeria's diplomatic ties a bit too far when he shook hands with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. His supporters, however, described this as part of the president's policy of "breaking taboos." This almost rebel-like spirit also prevailed when he overcame a decade of strained ties with neighbouring Morocco -- due to the conflict over the Western Sahara -- and visited Rabat to attend the funeral of King Hassan VI last summer.
The more sensitive taboo, that of dealing with the FIS, was indeed broken, but not exactly resolved. The Civil Concord law, his prescription for peace and security, which offers militants a generous amnesty, caused serious divisions inside the FIS.
Besides the fact that its armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army (AIS) was the first to accept the terms of the law, its leader, Madani Merzak and a number of AIS members were allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia earlier this year for the hajj (Muslim pilgrimage) at government expense.
But all is not that well. Thousands of militants have not yet complied with the law, a situation that has led Bouteflika to extend the deadline for amnesty which initially was set for 13 January of this year. Furthermore, a shattered economy that is causing serious social problems threatens to explode into a major crisis. With more than 30 per cent of the population unemployed and an aggressive privatisation policy laying off even more, the government has so far failed miserably in improving the lives of its people. But hope in Bouteflika has not faded yet and chances are that in the coming period he will add new items to his agenda, to prove further that he is not the military's man.
Related stories:
'Determined to make peace' - Focus, 5 -11 August 1999
Maghrebis tone down tensions - 10/1/99
Bouteflika's 'moment of national destinty'- 9/18/99
Bouteflika steps forward, cautiously - 6/5/99
Waiting for Bouteflika - 9/25/99
Related links:
Islamic Salvation Front Coordination Council
www.ccfis.org
