Kabylia’s Independence Claim Exposes Algeria’s Strategic Contradictions
For more than half a century, Algeria has built a significant part of its foreign policy on an active—at times militant—defense of separatist movements across different regions of the world. From Africa to Europe, and through multilateral forums and international organizations, Algiers has made the self-determination of others a diplomatic banner, even when this meant fueling internal tensions within neighboring countries.
On October 31, Algeria suffered a significant setback at the United Nations, a diplomatic blow that seriously weakened its annexationist ambitions over Western Sahara. Just days later, the situation became even more uncomfortable: from Paris, the symbolic heart of North African political exile, the independence of Kabylia—one of the most sensitive and strategic regions of the Algerian state itself—was proclaimed.
Last Sunday, the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia (MAK), led by Ferhat Mehenni and politically articulated through the Kabyle Provisional Government in Exile (ANAVAD), formally announced the declaration of independence of the Kabylia region, located in northeastern Algeria.
The proclamation—symbolic in nature but politically calculated—claims the birth of the Federal Republic of Kabylia, conceived as a democratic, decentralized state respectful of fundamental freedoms. According to the official statement, this act brings to an end “more than a century and a half of subjugation imposed without the consent of the Kabyle people” and asserts the right of the Amazigh people to decide their future in accordance with international law.
This declaration comes at a time of heightened repression in Kabylia, where any political expression related to the right of self-determination is systematically criminalized by Algerian authorities. Through this move, the MAK seeks to internationalize the so-called “Kabyle question,” explicitly framing it within the legal framework of the right of peoples to self-determination as recognized by the United Nations.
For now, this independence has no practical effects on the ground. It remains a political declaration made from exile, whose real impact will depend on two decisive factors:
- The movement’s actual capacity to mobilize significant internal support within Algeria.
- The potential—currently nonexistent—recognition by the international community.
As I noted in my article of November 20, when analyzing the still-open wounds left by the separation of South Sudan, the fragmentation of African states rarely brings stability; more often, it creates new vulnerabilities. Algeria is no exception.
Although today such a scenario may seem distant or unlikely, a fractured Algeria would have incalculable geopolitical consequences: destabilization of the Maghreb, increased migratory pressure, the expansion of criminal networks, and a strategic vacuum that other actors would be eager to fill.
Africa cannot be built on the multiplication of internal borders nor on the instrumentalization of separatism as a political weapon. The continent needs more cooperation, greater integration, and a shared strategic vision—not an atomization that weakens its key states.
Algeria is now discovering a basic truth of geopolitics:
those who promote fragmentation abroad eventually confront it at home. And, to paraphrase Winston Churchill:
“An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”
For decades, Algeria fed political crocodiles, convinced they would always bite far from home. Today, one of them has turned its head.
For the sake of the Maghreb, of Africa, and of regional stability, the path forward cannot be rupture, but historical responsibility.
A strong continent requires strong states—not shattered mirrors.
