By Ann Flower Seyse
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

ALGIERS, Algeria–  On June 23, five parliamentary police were killed by insurgents, and two more were kidnapped in the Khenchela province of Algeria. This attack follows the June 19 ambush, which killed eighteen officers and one civilian. Additionally, the attack this month follows the murder of British hostage Edwin Dyer, and the killing of five paramilitary gendarmes and the shooting of nine Algerian soldiers.

“AQIM,” or al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has claimed responsibility for the attacks in early June, and the large ambush on June 19. This group is an independent group of Islamic militants that waged a civil war against the Algerian government in the 1990s, which killed well over 100,000 civilians. In 2006 the group joined Osama Bin Laden’s terrorist organization under the name al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

AQIM regularly targets government forces, though the number of  attacks in the past month have significantly increased  from the past few years. Before the June 19 attack, the Algerian ruling elite had been discussing a plan to reduce violence by granting amnesty to some al Qaeda militants. The plan would have extended the offer of amnesty to higher officials. Algeria was basing the plan off of a similar plan that was used in Saudi Arabia to end a three year insurgency there by al Qaeda.

Farouk Ksentini, the President of the National Advisory Commission for the Promotion of Human Rights in Algeria, stated that general amnesty would be a good way to reduce the recent violence, in an interview before the June 19 attack. However, this theory was not welcomed among some Algerians, who would prefer the militants to go to trial and be judged for their actions.  Even in Saudi Arabia, the rate of recidivism for those granted amnesty is high.

Presently, it appears as though Algeria is not focused on a plan for granting amnesty.  On June 23, following the most recent ambush, Algeria deployed 10,000 soldiers to hunt for the perpetrators of the June 19 attack. The troops have reportedly recovered many weapons, and have arrested several people.

For more information, please see:

Media Line- Algeria Deploys 10,000 Soldiers to Hunt Al-Qa’ida Bombers – 23 June 2009

Reuters- Algerian Insurgents Kill Five Police: Reports– 23 June 2009

AFP – Al-Qaeda Claims Algerian Ambush: SITE – 21 June 2009

Dallas Morning News-  19 Die as Militants Ambush Algerian Police Convoy – 19 June 2009

AP –  Militants Kill at Least 19 in Algeria – 18 June 2009

Reuters- ANALYSIS-Algeria Mulls New Amnesty to Weaken al Qaeda– 17 June 2009