Africa News
Former Algerian terror chief calls for end to armed campaign
May 9, 2009, 11:16 GMT
Algiers - A former leader of Algeria's Islamist terrorist group GSPC called Saturday for an end to the armed campaign
Imprisoned former commando chief Amari Saifi, alias 'El Para,' called on underground fighters to lay down their arms and accept the amnesty offered by the government.
The GSPC (Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat), which has renamed itself al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, was responsible for the 2003 kidnapping of 32 Europeans.
The organization aims to overthrow the Algerian government and create an Islamic state.
The kidnappings benefited the enemies of Islam, El Para, who was captured in 2004, said in his statement. He called on current chief Abdelmalek Droudkel to consider the grounding principles of the group.
Former GSPC propaganda chief Omar Abdelber and other former leaders also added their names to the statement.
The group is currently under pressure from the army, with nine militants killed in a clash near Tizi Ouzou on Friday, the newspaper El Watan reported.
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