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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 April - 3 May 2000 Issue No. 479 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 April - 3 May 2000 Issue No. 479
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters No longer on the run
By Jailan HalawiAyman Abdel-Aziz, described as leader of the Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiya's (Islamic group) military wing in the southern Minya governorate, surrendered to security forces two weeks ago. He also provided police with the names of other group members. Abdel-Aziz was quoted as saying that the government's kind treatment of surrendering militants encouraged him to make the move.
Interior Minister Habib El-Adli, who joined the cabinet following the November 1997 Luxor massacre that left 58 tourists and four Egyptians dead, has gradually released thousands of militants who, the government says, have renounced the extremist ideology. The Interior Ministry's new strategy aims at encouraging those militants to integrate once more in society.
During his interrogation, Abdel-Aziz said that more militants are expected to surrender because of their deteriorating living conditions, in addition to rising doubts about the viability of their activities due to increasing internal divisions within the group. He also called on his peers at large to embrace the initiative announced by jailed Al-Gama'a leaders in July 1997 to abandon violence.
In an interview with the daily Al-Ahram, Abdel-Aziz said he had joined the group seven years ago in Abu-Qorkas, Minya. In 1997, he became an active member of Al-Gama'a's military wing under the leadership of Farid Kedwani, who was killed along with four other Al-Gama'a members in a confrontation with police at his hideout in Giza last September. After taking part in armed attacks, Abdel-Aziz moved along with other Al-Gama'a members from farming fields to mountain areas in search of a safe haven, away from the continuous onslaught by security forces. The most daring attack in which he took part was the murder of eight police officers in Abu-Qorkas.
Abdel-Aziz provided police with names of other Al-Gama'a members, as well as information about where they meet and several militant operations that had been carried out in the area. He also provided details of the financial difficulties and ideological differences within the organisation, especially after the killing of Kedwani.
According to a security source speaking on customary condition of anonymity, Abdel-Aziz's confessions will reopen many files of military operations in Minya and will help tighten the noose around those still at large.
The source added that Abdel-Aziz's confessions "will be taken into consideration during his trial", implying that it is unlikely that Abdel-Aziz will be sentenced to death for the crimes which he committed.
The Al-Gama'a has been behind the majority of armed attacks against policemen, Copts and tourists since the eruption of violence in 1992. An Al-Gama'a faction took responsibility for the November 1997 Luxor massacre. A few months before the carnage, the group's incarcerated leaders announced that it had abandoned violence and launched a cease-fire call. The call was welcomed by the expatriate Al-Gama'a leaders, especially Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, the group's spiritual leader, serving a life sentence at a US prison for conspiracy to blow up New York City landmarks.
Around 1,200 people have died in the campaign of violence aimed at establishing a strict Islamic state.
The Human Rights Centre for the Assistance of Prisoners estimates that 7,000 detainees have been released from prison since 1997, reducing the number of detainees to almost 15,000.
