Toward these ends, we have suggested to the government that facilitating visits by international non-governmental organizations would not violate Algerian sovereignty since such groups have visited before. We welcomed the Algerian Government's intention to invite the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Executions, and another on Torture, to visit. We have urged these organizations to go to Algeria to perform such fact-finding missions. The real issue here, however, is increased transparency. I underline this because it cannot be obtained without the willing cooperation of the Algerian Government and, even then, objective reporting will be a difficult task.
Transparency is also important for the government's credibility within the international community.
We, along with others in the international community, continue to impress this point on Algiers in our respective dialogues. We think it is the advice of a friend. However, the Algerian Government has yet to respond positively or definitively. Recently, they also rejected offers made by the European Union of humanitarian assistance for the victims. More needs to be done to protect civilians, but the violence in Algeria is the result of complicated political, economic, and security factors.