text: It banned the FIS, triggering a civil insurgency between the Front's armed wing, the Armed Islamic Group, and the national armed forces, in which more than 100,000 people are thought to have died.The Islamist militants conducted a violent campaign of civilian massacres.At several points in the conflict, the situation in Algeria became a point of international concern, most notably during the crisis surrounding Air France Flight 8969, a hijacking perpetrated by the Armed Islamic Group.The Armed Islamic Group declared a ceasefire in October 1997.Algeria held elections in 1999, considered biased by international observers and most opposition groups which were won by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.He worked to restore political stability to the country and announced a "Civil Concord" initiative, approved in a referendum, under which many political prisoners were pardoned, and several thousand members of armed groups were granted exemption from prosecution under a limited amnesty, in force until 13 January 2000.The AIS disbanded and levels of insurgent violence fell rapidly.The Groupe Salafiste pour la Prédication et le Combat (GSPC), a splinter group of the Armed Islamic Group, continued a terrorist campaign against the Government.Bouteflika was re-elected in the April 2004 presidential election after campaigning on a programme of national reconciliation.The programme comprised economic, institutional, political and social reform to modernise the country, raise living standards, and tackle the causes of alienation.It also included a second amnesty initiative, the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation, which was approved in a referendum in September 2005.It offered amnesty to most guerrillas and Government security forces.In November 2008, the Algerian Constitution was amended following a vote in Parliament, removing the two-term limit on Presidential incumbents.