Every year on April 20, Algerian Berbers take to the streets to demand the independence of the mountainous Kabylie on the occasion of the anniversary of the Berber Spring, marking the bloody crackdown by the Algerian regime in 2001 killing at least 116 protesters. Several cities in Kabylie region commemorated the anniversary of the Berber Spring raising banners and chanting slogans for independence with a view to achieving economic equality and linguistic and cultural rights. The MAK invokes a series of grievances the Kabylie region witnessed after the independence of Algeria. They blame the Algerian regime for seeking to eradicate their linguistic and cultural particularities by imposing an arabization policy coupled with economic marginalization. The Algerian regime has been accused by local and international rights NGOs for its involvement and impartiality in the inter-ethnic clashes that hit the ancient city of Ghardaia.

Source: The North Africa Journal April 21, 2018 14:03 UTC