Rebels fighting Algeria's government should take their "last chance" to surrender under an amnesty aimed at healing rifts caused by years of conflict, a state appointed human rights body said on Friday.
The amnesty charter, which took effect in the north African oil exporting country on Tuesday, gives Islamist guerrillas six months to surrender and be pardoned provided they were not responsible for massacres, rapes and bombings of public places.
Algerians estimate about 1,000 guerrillas are still active in the oil-exporting north African country, most of them members of the radical Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC).
The group is on the US list of foreign terrorist organisations and has recently expanded its activities to neighbouring countries.
"The key thing is for the rebels to seize this golden opportunity to surrender," Farouk Ksentini, President of Commission for the Defence and Promotion of Human Rights, told Reuters.
"This is really the last chance for them to get reintegrated into society," he said. "We hope the charter will be an important step to turn the page of Algeria's crisis."
Algeria plunged into near civil war when militants unleashed a holy war or "jihad" after the army cancelled legislative elections in 1992 that the radical Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) was set to win. The army feared an Iranian-style revolution.
Authorities estimate that more than 150,000 people died during the Islamic uprising. Violence has sharply fallen in recent years.
The GSPC has yet to comment on the latest amnesty which came into force on this week.
But a statement attributed to it on the Internet in September 2005 said it would continue its fight despite a referendum on the amnesty plans, which was approved by a big majority of Algerians.
"This vote is a waste of time. Algeria is not in need of a charter for peace and national reconciliation, but in need of a charter for Islam," said the statement on an Islamist Web site.
More than 2,000 failed Islamist ex-fighters are to be freed under the amnesty shortly but there was widespread uncertainty among relatives about the exact date of the releases.
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