Amari Saifi ("Abderrezak el-Para), a leading member of the GSPC captured in Chad in October 2004, is sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Algiers.
It has argued in favor of amnesty and reconciliation efforts towards former Islamist guerrillas, while simultaneously condemning violence and supporting the state in its confrontation with radical groups still fighting, such as al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (formerly GSPC).
GSPC |
The GSPC is "believed to have close ties to Osama bin Laden" (Paris AFX News Agency, Jul 13, 2005) and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (Asharq Alaswat Jul 3 2005), and is reported to be active in Italy (Deutsche Welle, Jul 15 2005).