Declaration of Independence of Kabylia

It was impossible not to notice: Kabyle people were present at the demonstrations in support of Israel that took place in Paris after the 7-October massacre perpetrated by Hamas terrorists and Gaza civilians. Their flag was waved proudly alongside Israeli flags.

Who are the Kabyle people? Ten to twelve million souls who have been struggling for their independence in Algeria for decades. Part of the Berber people, populations who resisted Islamic invasions, the Kabyles are today the only ones claiming today a territory (in Algeria) and the right to self-determination.

The conventional center of the Palace of Versailles, long devoted to History, was supposed to host a historic moment: the MAK — Mouvement pour l’Autodétermination de la Kabylie (Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia) — had planned to declare the independence of Kabylia in this prestigious venue on Sunday, December 14, 2025.

The culmination of a very old and peaceful struggle, and the beginning of a new chapter as an independent state led by the Anavad, Kabylia’s Government in exile, this event was ultimately banned by the local authorities, who decided it could not take place.

In an order published just a few hours before the scheduled ceremony, the authorities justified their decision with two main arguments:

• “Militants in favor of the Algerian regime could arrive in Versailles and start a fight with their [pro-Kabylia] adversaries.”
• “A large number of security forces have already been deployed to public events such as Hanukkah candle lightings and Christmas markets.”

The local authorities therefore concluded that “this event organized by the MAK, combined with the reaction of pro-Algerian militants, could become a source of public disorder.”

The leaders of the MAK are convinced that this order may have been influenced by foreign pressure. Relations between France and Algeria are difficult to decipher, particularly in the context of Boualem Sansal’s imprisonment in an Algerian jail — the French-Algerian writer having been deprived of his freedom for an entire year.

Hesitating between firmness and leniency toward a military dictatorship, France has not always succeeded in honoring either its power or its pride as a democracy. The local authorities failed to grasp that a peaceful event organized by a peaceful movement should be protected against foreseeable violence initiated by “pro-Algerian regime militants who might seek confrontation.” The cancellation of the event effectively grants victory to violence, to a totalitarian dictatorship, and to its coercive methods, at the expense of pacifism, non-violence, and democratic principles.

But the Kabyle movement needs more than this to give up. One night was enough to find a new venue where the same event could take place. Versailles did not want the Kabyles? Very well. The Salons Hoche, in Paris’s 8th arrondissement, would host them instead — and they did so admirably.

As if protected by the Bar Mitzvah taking place on the first floor, Kabylia’s declaration of independence unfolded on the ground floor. Combining meticulous organization with last-minute spontaneity — as Anavad spokesperson Lmulud At had warned — the ceremony and its preparation displayed remarkable dignity, respect, pacifism, and solemnity.

Dignity. Neither the historical weight of the moment nor the last-minute logistical changes diminished the dignity shown by the Kabyle members of the Government or by the large audience. Yes, some criticism was voiced regarding “foreign influence that had probably pressured France,” but it remained measured and restrained. Who could blame a democratic state confronted with a military junta leaning toward Islamism, which detains hundreds of political prisoners, around thirty of whom are on death row?

Kabyles who support the MAK also support democracy, individual freedom, religious freedom, and open-mindedness. They support Israel and the Jewish people[i] — as evidenced by the warm welcome extended to the author of these lines. They support all movements for self-determination, especially those that are peaceful.

Respect. It was visible on the faces of the audience. Of course, the atmosphere was joyful, but the smiles were not superficial. The struggle ahead will be long, and the Algerian regime — one of the most totalitarian in the world — remains their primary adversary. Moreover, Islamic radicals, who struck a deal with the regime at the end of the 1993–1999 civil war, represent an even harsher threat to the MAK’s secular vision. Despite this dark outlook, the Kabyle attitude remains clear, bright, and resolute.

Pacifism. The struggle of the Kabyle people — first for autonomy, then for self-determination — has always been peaceful. As Jean-Pierre Lledo, filmmaker and writer, a longtime friend of many Kabyles and a supporter of their cause, puts it:

[The MAK has] chosen the peaceful path. Despite hundreds killed or imprisoned, dozens sentenced to death, there is no way around it: it did not fall into the trap of responding with violence to the violence of the Algerian regime.[ii]

Boualem Sansal[iii] expressed a similar view in one of the very few interviews he granted after his release from an Algerian prison:

Algerian prisons hold hundreds of people accused of being MAK supporters. (…) Ferhat Mehenni, a singer, created the MAK and, naturally, many Kabyles rallied to it. (…) They have always been heavily oppressed: sentenced, tortured, executed, exiled. And the [Algerian] regime found a solution (…). People who read emails, who exchange ideas — they end up in prison. The regime criminalized this peaceful movement, the MAK.[iv]

Kabyles do not hijack planes. They do not plant bombs on buses. They do not shoot on beaches. They do not take hostages. They do not rape. They do not carry out suicide attacks. They do not fake truces in order to prepare new civilian massacres. They do not psychologically terrorize a population to force it to choose between the lives of civilians and security. They do not infiltrate universities worldwide to organize hate-filled demonstrations. They do not speak one language of moderation in French and another of hatred in Amazigh. And, consequently — and tragically — they are not heard, and therefore not listened to.

Let us not deceive ourselves: the legitimacy of self-determination is not measured by the noise it generates or the disruption it causes. Its legitimacy rests on authenticity, history, language, culture, the will to live together, and the aspiration to build a free, democratic, and open society. This is precisely the goal of the Kabyle people.

For now, the Western democratic world, instead of supporting one of the oldest living identities, prefers to pay attention to groups distinguished by terror, extreme cruelty, and whose ultimate aim is the annihilation of the Jewish people of Israel.

What are today’s democracies afraid of? Why do they show more concern for violent and totalitarian movements than for peaceful and democratic ones?

“This is the jungle; the law of the strongest prevails,” some may answer cynically. If this proves true, one should not be surprised if, in the not-so-distant future, those cherished yet poorly defended democratic values are swept away by that very jungle law.

This brings us to the solemnity displayed during the ceremony of December 14, 2025. President Ferhat Mehenni declared:

A people with self-awareness is, in essence, a nation.[v]

He also reaffirmed the pacifism at the core of his movement:

Pacifism is neither weakness nor renunciation. It is the highest expression of reason and humanism. It stands against the logic of destruction, revenge, and blood. It is grounded in justice and law. It keeps open the path to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, in which neither victory nor defeat is claimed.[vi]

And, combining an outstretched hand with genuine strength, he concluded:

Kabylia is now a Federal Republic — democratic and secular.[vii]

On December 14, 2025, in Paris, a new republic was born, far from its land. Without weapons, without violence, but with strong words, songs, and pure emotion. May those who claim to be free recognize themselves in this modern exodus. Just as enslaved Jews had to leave behind the Egyptian part of themselves, free Kabyle people will one day cast off their Algerian share.

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[i] « Long live Israel” was heard during the ceremony like for example at 01:02:00: https://www.youtube.com/live/-banVSBjuGA?si=bumOwg0YN-QLaBkT

[ii] https://mabatim.info/2025/12/11/declaration-dindependance-de-la-kabylie/

[iii] Boualem Sansal, a French-Algerian writer has been arbitrarily imprisoned in Algeria for one year.

[iv] https://x.com/LCudkowicz/status/2001920527804563586?s=20

[v] https://www.youtube.com/live/-banVSBjuGA?si=0juf8oash1Kzusz2&t=760

[vi] https://www.youtube.com/live/-banVSBjuGA?si=4LOHybHvROPDx-gz&t=829

[vii] https://www.youtube.com/live/-banVSBjuGA?si=WftqzIzRLs0XTOTP&t=2440