Village of Beni Djemaa in shock after farmer beheaded

23/07/2008

A rural Algerian village is still reeling after terrorists robbed a home and beheaded a local farmer. The incident reminds many local residents of the dark days of the 1990s.

Hayam El Hadi and Said Jameh in Algiers contributed to this report– 23/07/08

[Hayam El Hadi] The quiet village of Ben Djemaa was plunged into shock after a group of terrorists beheaded a 66-year-old farmer last Saturday.

The village of Beni Djemaa, in Blida wilaya, was plunged into shock after a group of terrorists ransacked a farmhouse and beheaded its 66-year-old owner on the evening of Saturday (July 12th). The Algerian press has been largely silent on the attack.

The incident began on Saturday at around 8pm when more than twenty men under the age of 40 entered the farmer's small dwelling.

"They were armed to the teeth and wearing military clothing," said the farmer's son, who was present at the time. "We were under the impression that they were soldiers carrying out a sweep operation."

The family soon realised, however, that the men were terrorists.

"Once they’d got into the house they seized my mobile phone," said the son. "They ordered us to stay in the kitchen where three of their underlings kept watch over us while they rifled through the whole house."

The terrorists wasted little time in demanding money and jewellery.

"They wanted the money my father had just received under the agricultural aid policy. He had been granted 200,000 dinars, which the terrorists took. They weren’t happy with that, though, because they then demanded jewellery from my mother and sisters and a hunting rifle that belonged to my brother. Once they’d plundered our possessions, they ordered us to stay inside the house. They threatened to kill any of us who tried to get out."

After the group had left, the terrified family thought the worst was over.

What they did not know was that the head of the household, M. A., was returning from mosque and would bump into the group on his way home.

Eyewitnesses say the farmer got into an argument with the bandits over an unknown matter. The terrorists tied him up and dragged him along before cutting his throat in full view of bystanders.

Security forces later found the victim decapitated, lying in a pool of blood.

Days after the assassination, villagers are deeply traumatised by the attack on the unarmed man, known by everyone in this village of fewer than 5,000 inhabitants.

The incident reminds many local residents of the dark days of the 1990s when terrorists did not hesitate to randomly slit the throats of women, children and the elderly.

In an attempt to understand the brutal act, Magharebia spoke with security expert Mouloud Morchedi.

"The killing of that person could be part of a retaliation operation, for having refused to yield to blackmail," Morchedi said.

"Farmers are often targeted by blackmailers through the taxes they seek to levy on farmers, traders and people of various professions."

No group has yet claimed responsibility for Saturday night’s killing, which took place in a region that was once a refuge for the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC). That group, which changed its name to al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb, experienced a major setback in June 2007 when Algerian security forces launched a major search and seizure operation across the Meftah region and the Metidja plains.

Algerian officials say security operations deprived terrorists of tools they use to finance themselves, effectively cutting them off from their sources of income.

"The incident may be seen in the context of the terrorist groups' attempts to find resources to overcome their funding crisis," Morchedi noted, adding that the victim may have identified the assailants, leading them to kill him in order to terrorise his family. The security expert also noted the proximity of the area to the Boumerdès region, which is often targeted by al-Qaeda members. The gruesome attack received little press coverage. Some journalists say this is because the interior ministry, which usually handles public information regarding terrorism, has not issued any official statement on the incident.

The Algerian government, however, has issued a number of general statements recently, describing the country's terrorists as acting in desperation during their "final hours".