Wilaya of Relizane massacres of 4 January 1998
| 1998 Relizane massacres | |
|---|---|
| Part of Algerian Civil War | |
| Location | Oued Rhiou, Algeria |
| Date | 4 January 1998 |
| Deaths | At least 172 villagers |
| Algerian massacres in 1998 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massacres in which over 50 people were killed: | ||||||||||
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← 1997 1999 → | ||||||||||
The Wilaya of Relizane massacres of 4 January 1998 were massacres that took place in three remote villages around Oued Rhiou in Relizane Province, Algeria, during the Algerian conflict of the 1990s.
In the massacres on this date, the following numbers were recorded:
- at Had Chekala, at least 150 killed;[1] no residents survived; more than 30 guerrillas burned the village down afterwards[2]
- at Remka,[3] initial reports claimed 117 killed;[2] in 2006, Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia declared that the true toll had been 1000.[4]
- at Ain Tarik,[3] an unknown number were killed
The massacres were attributed to the GIA, an armed Islamist group, and had been preceded some days before by the Wilaya of Relizane massacres of 30 December 1997.[citation needed]
They resulted in a mass population flight from the afflicted area, and led to international condemnation and calls for an independent investigation. Algeria rejected an inquiry into the massacres, blaming the slaughters on Islamist guerillas.[3][2]
See also
References
- ^ "Algeria denies blame for massacres". BBC News. 7 January 1998. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
- ^ a b c Kelly, Lanson (7 January 1998). "Today's Examiner: Hundreds burnt alive in Algerian massacre". The Examiner. Archived from the original on 12 April 2004. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
- ^ a b c "Algeria rejects massacre inquiry". BBC News. 7 January 1998. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
- ^ "Algeria hid massacre toll". news24.com. 20 June 1995. Archived from the original on 17 February 2007. Retrieved 19 February 2026.