The Birth of Kabylia

On December 14th, a government in exile declared the independence of Kabylia, a Berber region in Algeria. Of course, the region has existed for time immemorial, but it has not had an independent political existence. And it still doesn’t. But this is the first step that might lead in that direction.

Tensions between the Arab majority and the indigenous Berber population of Algeria have been present since independence, and have been gradually increasing over time, marked by several incidents that have included government suppression of the Kabyle language, imprisonments, and some open fighting. I am not an expert on this region (to say the least), but the declaration of a government in exile would seem to indicate that at least some members of the Kabyle elite see no future in internal resistance and are looking for foreign support.

No one has recognized Kabylia as yet, but Israel may be considering it. Given Israel’s ostracism by most Muslim nations, and its history with Algeria in particular, it would seem to have little to lose by offending Algiers; and its recent recognition of Somaliland may indicate an increasing willingness to back separatist movements.

(Did you know that the U.N. has an organization specifically for peoples that are not officially represented? It is UNPO, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization. Given that the U.N. is founded on the sovereignty of its members, I’m not sure how it squares that principle with what it is trying to achieve here. Current members include obvious ones like Somaliland and Tibet, less obvious ones like Brittany and Catalonia, and…Washington D.C.? Apparently the entrance criteria are not too strict. Taiwan is also a member, which makes perfect sense in that they are not represented in the U.N., although they are obviously an independent nation with little else in common with the likes of Tibet. Also, the U.N. could solve their representation problem in an instant if they really cared. Interestingly, I don’t see the Basques in here. This would make a fascinating topic for a video.)

Given my default position to support breakaway groups, what do I think of this? I should clarify up front that one of my friends, now an American citizen, is from Kabylia, although I haven’t had a chance to discuss this with him (as I only found out about it last week).

In principle, an independent Kabylia seems like a reasonable proposition. They have definitely and unambiguously been suppressed by the Arab majority, to the point of having a conference on Kabyle poetry cancelled. The government in exile is also saying the right things, such as supporting democracy and a secular government. The fact that they have no history of independence presents an issue. I don’t doubt that they constitute an independent community of long standing, but they lack any sort of existing institutions on which to build their independence. And, of course, they have nothing like self-government in Algeria, although the national government has made some indications of flexibility.

In short, while I support their long-term goal, I don’t seem any likelihood of short-term progress, or even what progress could be made. The main thing would probably be for foreign governments to pressure Algiers, via soft measures, to grant limited autonomy to Kabylia, possibly leading to some limited self-government. This may extinguish the independence movement (and it’s not a bad thing if people are content without major political upheaval), or it may build the foundation for future independence.