As December 14 approaches, Kabylie region stands at the threshold of a historic moment: the proclamation of independence from Algeria.
This bold step, led by the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK) under Ferhat Mhenni, is the culmination of decades of peaceful struggle for a right enshrined in international law: the right of peoples to self-determination.
Ironically, Algeria has long claimed to champion this principle abroad in its desperate agenda to unsettle Morocco. Yet, when it comes to its own Kabyle population, the regime has responded with repression, arbitrary arrests, and systematic persecution. This contradiction exposes the deep hypocrisy at the heart of Algiers’ foreign policy and its authoritarian domestic rule.
The MAK’s declaration will take place in Paris, in a prestigious venue hosting over 1,000 guests, including lawmakers from Canada and France, cultural figures, and international supporters, a MAK leader Aksel Belabbaci told le360.
The choice of December 14 is deliberate, he said, it marks the anniversary of UN Resolution 1514 (1960), which affirmed the right of colonized peoples to independence. By invoking this date, Kabylie sends a clear message to the world: the principle of self-determination is universal, and Algeria cannot selectively apply it.
Kabylie’s demand for autonomy began as a call for dialogue. Instead of engagement, the Algerian regime unleashed a campaign of intimidation, branding peaceful activists as “terrorists” under Article 87 bis of its Penal Code. Hundreds of Kabyle detainees languish in prisons today, victims of a state that criminalizes dissent and stifles cultural identity, according to rights NGOs.
The tragic events of 2021, when Kabylie endured violent crackdowns, remain fresh in memory. Arbitrary arrests, censorship, and militarization have turned the region into a pressure cooker. “Any additional force could trigger an uncontrollable explosion,” warns Aksel Bellabbaci, senior adviser to the MAK president.
Algiers is scrambling to counter the MAK’s initiative, mobilizing state-controlled media and organizing anti-Kabyle rallies in Paris.
These desperate manoeuvres reveal a regime terrified of losing its grip on a region that has resisted assimilation for decades. But Kabylie is undeterred. Immediately after the proclamation, the MAK plans to launch a diplomatic campaign to secure recognition from foreign governments. Meetings are already scheduled, signaling the start of a new chapter in Kabylie’s struggle.
