In an official document bearing the logo “Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia – Kabyle Government in Exile”, Ferhat Mehenni, president of the movement, sent an invitation to several political, cultural, and diplomatic figures to attend the “Ceremony of Proclamation of Kabyle Independence”, scheduled for Sunday, December 14, 2025, in the French capital, Paris.
The Kabyle State Dream Between Law and Politics: A New Chapter in the Self-Determination Struggle Written from Paris
حلم دولة القبائل بين القانون والسياسة: من باريس تُكتب صفحة جديدة في معركة تقرير المصير pic.twitter.com/V7OAL5AYUT
— Diplomatique.ma الدبلوماسية (@diplomatique_ma) November 12, 2025
A symbolic step, but one that raises more than one question: Are we witnessing the birth of a new political entity in exile? Or is this a new chapter in the political conflict between Algeria and its opposition movements?
Between National Ambition and Geopolitical Reality
The statement issued by the movement uses the language of international law and relies on UN Resolution 1514 concerning the independence of colonized peoples, in a clear attempt to legitimize the claim for “independence.”
The invitation stated: “This historic event restores to the Kabyle people their inalienable right to self-determination in the face of the Algerian authorities who refuse to open dialogue.”
From a rhetorical perspective, the MAK – a movement classified by Algeria since 2021 as a terrorist organization – does not hide its intention to bring the Kabyle issue back to the forefront as a cause of “national liberation.” However, it faces a complex legal and political reality, as the international community does not recognize the Kabylia region as a colonized entity, but rather as part of the Algerian state recognized internationally since 1962.
Paris… a Symbolic Platform for the Announcement
The choice of the French capital to launch this “historic proclamation” is not accidental. France and the Kabylia region share historical and cultural ties dating back to the colonial period, when a significant part of the Kabyle elite was French-educated and integrated into French cultural life.
Today, more than sixty years after Algeria’s independence, Paris seems to regain its role as a symbolic stage where identity and belonging claims are expressed.
A French researcher specializing in North African affairs explains:
“For Ferhat Mehenni, Paris is not just a place, it is memory. It is the space where a movement like the MAK can speak freely and meet those who listen without fear of persecution.”
But this free space places France in a delicate position. Algeria considers any separatist activity against its territorial integrity a “direct threat to national security” and has repeatedly expressed its rejection of what it calls “French silent complicity.”
Between International Law and the Principle of Inviolable Borders
In his speech, Mehenni refers to the United Nations Charter and General Assembly resolutions on the right of peoples to self-determination. In reality, this principle is subject to two conflicting interpretations:
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The first links it to liberation movements against foreign colonization, as was the case with African colonies in the 1950s and 1960s.
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The second, adopted by the majority of African countries, excludes its application to separatist movements within independent states, to preserve the principle of inviolable borders inherited from colonization.
An international law expert from the University of Algiers notes:
“Legally, the Kabyles cannot be considered a colonized or occupied people. Therefore, the conditions to exercise the right to external self-determination, i.e., full secession, do not apply. One can only speak of internal self-determination, meaning broad autonomy within the state.”
In this sense, the “proclamation of independence” mentioned by the movement remains a symbolic political act with no legal effect but carries significant media weight, especially in a political context marked by tension between Algeria and the European Union.
Algeria: Firmness and Warning
Since listing the MAK as a terrorist organization, Algeria has adopted a strict security policy against any related activity.
Algerian security sources previously confirmed that “the movement is managed from abroad with the support of intelligence networks seeking to destabilize the country.” Although these accusations have not been legally proven, the official Algerian discourse leaves no room for ambiguity: the state considers the issue a red line that cannot be crossed.
In this context, organizing a ceremony in Paris to announce the “independence of Kabylia” is expected to provoke strong diplomatic reactions, possibly even summoning the French ambassador in Algiers for clarification. For Algerian decision-makers, this is not just a cultural activity but a “political provocation.”
Europe Between Principle and Interest
The Kabyle announcement coincides with a broad European debate on the EU’s relationship with its southern neighbors.
Just days after expanding the Erasmus+ program to Algeria, voices from France’s conservative right, such as MEP François-Xavier Bellamy, criticized “Europe’s leniency towards regimes that do not respect fundamental freedoms,” referring to the arrest of Algerian intellectuals and journalists.
These simultaneous moves – expanding academic cooperation on one hand, and proclaiming “Kabyle independence” on the other – place Europe in an ethical dilemma: how to reconcile its official support for Algeria’s unity with some of its political currents’ inclination to embrace movements opposing the regime?
Between Dream and Reality
In his speech to the invitees, Ferhat Mehenni takes care to use calm language, free from incitement, yet stresses that “the struggle of the Kabyle people is peaceful and just,” calling on the international community to support “their right to self-determination.”
Although this discourse resonates with some small human rights organizations in Europe, it finds no clear official support from Western governments or the United Nations.
Analysts note that the MAK bets more on international media attention than on actual recognition: every press coverage or statement of solidarity is considered a gain in the battle for image and symbolic legitimacy.
Where is the Cause Heading?
The key question today: does this announcement pave the way for a new phase of escalation, or is it just another bargaining chip in the game of regional balances? Clearly, the event, even if symbolic, reflects deep tension within the Algerian scene between the center and the peripheries, between the single-state discourse and the demands of multiple cultural identities.
It also opens the door to a broader debate on managing diversity in the Maghreb region, which still addresses ethnic and linguistic issues more through a security lens than a cultural or democratic one.
Conclusion: Deferred Dream or Start of a Path?
Ultimately, the “proclamation of Kabyle independence” as conceived by Ferhat Mehenni is nothing more than a political cry addressed to the world, a message saying: “We are here, we have an identity and a voice.”
But between ambition and reality, between law and politics, the distance remains long. The United Nations will not open such a file easily, Algeria will not accept any discussion of its territorial integrity, and France will not risk its sensitive relationship with its southern neighbor.
Nevertheless, the event remains an indicator that the issue of identity in Algeria is not closed, and what is being written today in Paris is only a new chapter in a long story between “Kabylia” and “the state,” between dream and memory, between politics and the right to exist.
