The European Union delegation visiting Algeria to investigate terrorist massacres there has ended its mission with "some progress".

BBC Foreign Affairs Editor, John Simpson, reports from Algiers (2' 05")

Speaking after talks with government ministers, the legal opposition, human rights observers and journalists, the leader of the delegation, British minister Derek Fatchett, said the delegation had urged the government to be more open about the violence.

But he added that he had not convinced the authorities to receive UN human rights investigators.

Violence continues

On Tuesday, two more bombs exploded in Algeria, killing at least six people, and injuring fifty.

But Algerian authorities again rejected calls for an international investigation and offers of humanitarian aid, telling the EU what they most wanted was a European crackdown on networks of exiled Islamic fundamentalists, particularly the GIA (Armed Islamic Group), which they say are operating from Europe's major cities.

With nine days left to go in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, there seemed to be no let-up in sight for the people of Algeria.

Since Ramadan began on December 30, some 1,200 people have been murdered. Authorities blame Islamic fanatics for the attacks, timed to coincide with the month of fasting. They strongly deny claims that their own forces may be fuelling the violence.

Meeting the Algerian authorities

The EU's 24-hour mission succeeded in restoring a dialogue with Algeria, but failed to persuade the authorities there that allowing an independent inquiry into the bloodshed would put an end to the violence.

The "troika" of three junior foreign ministers met Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia as well as members of the legal opposition parties and newspaper editors.

Derek Fatchett appealing for Algerian authorities to be more open (3'00)

Mission leader Derek Fatchett said: "We had hoped that the Algerian government would agree to issue an invitation to the UN Special Rapporteurs in Geneva to visit, but they were not ready to do so. We regret this."

Tight security

Security in the city was extra tight for the 24-hour visit of the EU envoys and security forces were reported to have foiled several car bomb attempts in recent days, including a 200kg device planted on a main highway.

An hour before the EU's concluding news conference, held in tight security at the Foreign Ministry, a bomb went off in a bus in the capital's Ben Aknoun district, killing three people.

A second bomb exploded in a market in the village of Ziralda,15 miles west of Algiers, killing three people and wounding 30, the security forces said in a statement on state-run television.

Another device was found and defused next to an Algiers mosque.
 

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