Despite a last‑minute venue ban and what organizers described as attempts by Algerian authorities to derail the event, the Kabyle independence movement MAK on Dec 14, as planned, proclaimed the independence of Kabylia at a ceremony in central Paris, unveiling the name Federal Republic of Kabylia.
The event took place in a venue near the Arc de Triomphe before a large audience of activists, movement cadres and foreign guests.
After the formal declaration, Ferhat Mehenni, the president of the MAK- introduced as president of the new republic- delivered a speech, followed by the Kabyle national anthem.
Organizers said parliamentarians, association leaders and activists from France, Canada, Israel and the United Kingdom addressed the gathering, calling the announcement “historic.”
The ceremony, they added, drew wide attention on social media, even as travel and security disruptions affected some international invitees.
The proclamation went ahead amid heightened tensions and logistical hurdles. The ceremony had been scheduled at the Palais des Congrès in Versailles (Yvelines) but was prohibited by a prefectural order citing a serious risk of public disorder.
The MAK filed an urgent appeal with the administrative court, though organizers said the court did not rule within the timeframe they had hoped.
The movement then shifted to a private venue to comply with French law and avoid a public street gathering.
A significant police presence surrounded the site to prevent incidents. According to organizers, Algerian authorities and allied groups sought to torpedo the event, mobilizing members of the diaspora and arranging buses from across France to stage counter‑rallies. No major clashes were reported during the indoor ceremony.
The unilateral proclamation marks an unprecedented moment in Algeria’s post‑1962 political history, signaling what the MAK describes as a transition from identity advocacy to an openly independence‑focused strategy.
Movement leaders say the move is designed to internationalize the Kabyle question and engage public opinion, foreign chancelleries and international institutions.
The MAK’s announcement comes amid what the movement characterizes as a period of heightened nervousness in Algeria’s leadership. While the organizers presented Sunday’s ceremony as a peaceful and legal act held on private property, they acknowledged the broader contest over narrative and legitimacy that will follow, including diplomatic outreach and efforts to secure recognition.
MAK activists have faced years of persecution, surveillance, raids, and prosecutions under Algeria’s expanded “terrorism” laws, since authorities designated the Kabyle movement as a terrorist group in May 2021, a label used to justify sweeping arrests of dissenters.
Foreign governments have repeatedly questioned that designation. In its Country Reports on Terrorism 2021, the U.S. State Department assessed the MAK as “more political than security focused,” noting the groups “do not appear to have committed what the United States defines as terrorist acts,” while later human rights reporting highlighted Algeria’s overly broad terrorism provisions and their use against peaceful activists.
This pattern of repression echoes the 2001 “Black Spring” in Kabylia, when security forces met protests with lethal force, leaving 126 dead and thousands injured, a trauma that continues to shape Kabyle grievances today.
