But Bouteflika ignored the Berber protesters' main demand that he pull paramilitary gendarmes out of the Berber-speaking region, convulsed by almost daily clashes since the death of a teenager in custody at a gendarmerie barracks on April 18. The government has admitted security forces have shot dead 51 protesters and wounded 280 others since the clashes broke out. Independent newspapers say up to 80 rioters have died.
Protesters blame the gendarmes for widespread corruption as well as the killings.
More than half a million people took to the streets of Tizi Ouzou, the main Berber city, last week to demand their withdrawal. A similar massive street protest is planned in Algiers on Thursday. Bouteflika said punishments would be decided when an inquiry commission he set up early this month completed its findings. Independent newspapers and opposition parties criticised the commission as a delaying tactic that would worsen the situation in civil strife-torn Algeria. Many Algerians believe army generals stirred the riots to divert attention from infighting within the country's military leadership and accusations of human rights abuses.