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Algeria's AIS group dissolves following amnesty

ALGIERS: The Islamic Salvation Army, once Algeria's biggest Muslim rebel group, dissolved itself on Tuesday after receiving a presidential amnesty for its estimated 8,000 guerrillas.

The deal, agreed last week, leaves two groups -- the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) and the Da'wa wal Djihad (Appeal and Struggle) -- still waging an eight-year-old conflict which President Abdelaziz Bouteflika estimates has cost 100,000 lives.

They have added more than 600 deaths to the toll since the amnesty offer was made in July, according to official and newspaper reports.

State television broadcast a statement it said was signed by Madani Mezrag, chief of the Islamic Salvation Army. The AIS was the guerrilla wing of the Islamic Salvation Front or FIS, which was on the brink of winning a parliamentary election when the authorities scrapped a brief experiment with democracy at the start of 1992.

"Based on the decree of amnesty announced on Tuesday and the state commitments, the Islamic Salvation Army decided to dissolve its organisation, effective from the date of issue of this statement," it said.

"President Bouteflika has issued a general amnesty for Islamic Salvation Army members in return for the dissolution of their organisation," state radio said.

"The AIS committed itself to return to the authorities all weapons and other military means," the radio added, reading a presidential statement.

The AIS reached a peace accord with Bouteflika in June and offered to fight alongside government troops against radical rebel factions still bent on violence.

Bouteflika then offered amnesty to all militants who surrendered by January 13. The government says more than 1,500 militants have already given themselves up.

Although the remaining guerrilla factions stepped up their attacks, violence has still waned by comparison with earlier years.-Reuters