chargement...
The president of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), Ferhat Mehenni, has announced that the birth of the state of Kabylia will be proclaimed on April 20 in New York. To gain support for its cause, MAK is targeting Morocco. «We know that Morocco has sympathy for Kabylia, a sentiment echoed in 2015», Mehenni acknowledged in a social media address on March 17.
Indeed, Rabat had advocated for Kabylia's right to self-determination in October 2015. «It is regrettable that the legitimate aspirations of the indigenous people of Kabylia are still being flouted in the 21st century. Their human rights are violated daily, their representatives persecuted, and their leaders hunted down, even in exile», said a member of Morocco's diplomatic mission to the UN.
Mehenni expressed gratitude to Morocco and King Mohammed VI for repeatedly making this gesture. However, he noted that this support «has failed to progress». «Since 2015, Morocco's stance on Kabylia's situation and its right to self-determination has remained stagnant. This stagnation allowed Algiers to regain the upper hand», lamented Ferhat Mehenni.
Mehenni desires more than Morocco's «sympathy»
To obtain recognition of his government and state project from Moroccan officials, he asserts that «in any war or battle, taking the initiative is always preferable to simply mitigating the enemy's damage».
While reiterating his movement's «support and solidarity» with Morocco, he points out that «Kabylia has its own agenda, which deserves respect from its friends as well». He echoed King Mohammed's message to Morocco's partners on August 20, 2022, concerning the Moroccan character of the Sahara. «Kabylia too judges its friendships based solely on their support for its right to self-determination», said Mehenni.
«For our part, Kabylia hopes to take the Kabylo-Moroccan friendship a step further. Kabylia always stands by its choices and will always respect those who have lent it a helping hand. Kabylia will never be ungrateful to the brotherly kingdom of Morocco». he promised, referring to Algerian leaders who turned their backs on Morocco as soon as their country gained independence in 1962.
In addition to his MAK leadership role, Ferhat Mehenni has also presented himself since June 1, 2010 as President of the Kabyle Provisional Government, which is calling for the region's independence. In July 2021, he requested to meet King Mohammed VI.
In the past, Morocco has been reluctant to offer clear and direct support. For instance, Rabat did not openly back the Front Islamique du Salut (FIS) during its conflict with the Algerian military in the early 90s. In 1993, King Hassan II even extradited the leader of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), Abdelhak Layada, who had sought refuge in Morocco, to Algerian authorities. Will the kingdom remain faithful to this policy regarding the demands of Ferhat Mehenni ?
