Mouvement pour l'Autonomie de la Kabylie
Encyclopedia
The Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylia (in French
: Mouvement pour l'autonomie de la Kabylie (MAK)) is a non-violent autonomist group seeking self-government rule for the province of Kabylia within the State of Algeria
. Led by folk singer Ferhat Mehenni, the MAK speaks for the Kabyle
indigenous minority which identifies with the Berbers
who first inhabited North Africa, and are now frustrated by the efforts of the government to assimilate the remaining minorities into the Arab
majority. The immediate goal of the MAK is regional autonomy for the province of Kabylia, which according to Mehenni could be the "first step towards a federalist Algerian State".
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Mouvement pour l'autonomie de la Kabylie (MAK)) is a non-violent autonomist group seeking self-government rule for the province of Kabylia within the State of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. Led by folk singer Ferhat Mehenni, the MAK speaks for the Kabyle
Kabyle people
The Kabyle people are the largest homogeneous Algerian ethno-cultural and linguistical community and the largest nation in North Africa to be considered exclusively Berber. Their traditional homeland is Kabylie in the north of Algeria, one hundred miles east of Algiers...
indigenous minority which identifies with the Berbers
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
who first inhabited North Africa, and are now frustrated by the efforts of the government to assimilate the remaining minorities into the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
majority. The immediate goal of the MAK is regional autonomy for the province of Kabylia, which according to Mehenni could be the "first step towards a federalist Algerian State".
External links
- "The Other Intifada" Boston Globe report on the MAK
- "Autonomy in Kabylia: breaking a taboo" Discussion of the autonomist movement in Kabylia in general by Professor Salem Chaker.
- MAK official website