Kabyle leader urges Algeria to address Kabyle self-determination at UN Security Council

Ferhat Mehenni, leader of the Kabyle independence movement and head of the provisional Kabyle government-in-exile, has called on Algeria’s United Nations ambassador, Amar Benjamaa, to initiate a discussion in the UN Security Council regarding the Kabyle people’s right to self-determination. Algeria holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for January.

In his letter sent Monday, Mehenni urged the Algerian representative to prioritize the issue, stating: “In light of the issues you plan to raise at the helm of this esteemed international body, I appeal to you, in the name of the right to self-determination—a principle dear to your country regarding Palestine, Western Sahara, and recently, Azawad—to include the Kabyle people’s right to determine their future on the UN agenda.”

Mehenni accused the Algerian government of violently suppressing Kabyle aspirations for independence, emphasizing severe human rights abuses since June 2021. He referenced Algeria’s penal code, specifically Article 87 bis, which equates any expression of Kabyle self-determination with terrorism.

“Over 13,000 activists have been arrested, subjected to torture, and in some cases, sexual violence during interrogations,” Mehenni wrote, adding that detainees were imprisoned and unfairly sentenced based on fabricated evidence. He claimed 38 Kabyle individuals are currently on death row for crimes they did not commit.

The Kabyle leader also alleged Algeria systematically denies political prisoners amnesty, using them as bargaining tools. He accused Algeria of orchestrating widespread forest fires in Kabyle regions in August 2021, which resulted in over 500 deaths and thousands of injuries. These acts, Mehenni claimed, were part of an operation dubbed “Zero Kabyle,” allegedly coordinated at the highest levels of Algeria’s military to provoke the Kabyle liberation movement into taking up arms.

Algerian authorities have repeatedly dismissed claims by the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), labeling it a terrorist organization and attributing unrest in the region to foreign interference.

Mehenni’s call for international scrutiny comes amidst growing tension between the Kabyle movement and the Algerian state, as the Kabyle leader seeks to elevate the issue to global prominence during Algeria’s Security Council presidency.