Wounded Nicaragua Rebel Seeks Amnesty

A wounded rebel, the first member of the U.S.-backed contras to ask for amnesty under a regional peace plan, claimed he was shot by fellow rebels angry over his decision to leave their ranks, the government said Friday.

Catalino Duran Davalos, 24, became the first rebel fighting the Sandinista government to request amnesty before a peace commission, the government said in a statement.

It said he appeared Thursday before a commission that was formed as part of a Aug. 7 peace agreement that calls for a cease-fire and amnesty for rebels who lay down their arms. It added that he had suffered bullet wounds in an arm and in the head.

Duran Davalos said he belonged to the Democratic Forces of Nicaragua, one of the main contra groups. “My companions shot me when I deserted to take advantage of the amnesty,” he was quoted as saying.