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Algeria: Update to DZA30432.E of 2 December 1998 on the treatment of members of the Berber Cultural Movement (Mouvement culturel berbère, MCB) (January 2003 - August 2004)

Limited information on the treatment of members of the Berber Cultural Movement (Mouvement culturel berbère, MCB) could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints for this Response to Information Request.

Founded in 1980 in Kabylia (ICG 10 June 2003, 3), the MCB is an organization made up of various factions that sometimes espouse different ideas (L'Expression 27 Apr. 2003). According to L'Expression, the MCB, which was formerly [translation] "repressed by the only party, ended up flourishing because of a multi-party system and the will of the public to move toward democracy" (17 Apr. 2004).

In August 2003, one faction of the MCB, led by Ould Ali El-Hadi, organized a summer university, in which over 200 supporters of Berber culture participated (L'Expression 14 Aug. 2003). When an Algerian political party, the National Liberation Front (Front de libération nationale, FLN), announced that it was willing to work with the MCB, El-Hadi explained the reasons for the break with the Berber political party Rally for Culture and Democracy (Rassemblement pour la culture et la démocratie, RCD), which, according to him, was not open enough to the opinions of the other factions (ibid.).

On 20 April 2004, two factions of the MCB held a demonstration to denounce some of the government practices concerning poverty in Algeria and to affirm their rights as Berbers (Le Matin 18 Apr. 2004).

Mouloud Lounaouci, leader of one MCB faction, denounced the Algerian government in an editorial in which he stated that his party could not [translation] "remain indifferent to the threats made by a minister" toward a newspaper director (ibid. 28 July 2003). Similarly, Mr. Lounaouci said that MCB supporters had been [translation] "victims of political thuggery" for decades (ibid.). However, during the month of August 2003, that same MCB leader met with the Minister of the Interior (ministre de l'Intérieur), Yazid Zerhouni (L'Expression 4 Aug. 2003).

While the MCB calls for recognition of the main Berber language, Tamazight, a report published on the Forced Migration Online site indicates that the fact that Tamazight was recognized as a national language in 2002 is not considered to be sufficient because it still does not have official language status (n.d., 8). In addition, sources point out that, even after Tamazight was designated as a national language, the MCB felt that the government had still not taken the necessary steps to promote the new national language (Le Matin 21 July 2003; L'Expression 22 July 2003). According to the MCB, [translation] "the time lag between the official statement and the reality in the country is enormous" (ibid. 3 Aug. 2003).

In its 2004 annual report, Amnesty International indicated that inquiries carried out on agents of the gendarmerie who used lethal force against Berber protestors in Kabylia in 2001, many of whom died, did not lead to prosecution of those agents.

The report on Algeria prepared by Brian J. Davis from the Canadian Embassy in Algeria indicated that, according to the MCB, [translation] "the Berber situation has improved considerably since the 1970s and 1980s" (May 2001, 12). The Berbers hold important positions in the government, the army and the media (Davis May 2001, 12-13). The report states that [translation] "the MCB indicated quite clearly that the Berbers were not persecuted in Algeria and that the individuals who made such allegations had done so out of self-interest" (ibid.). However, that statement could not be corroborated by the other sources consulted for this Response to Information Request.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Amnesty International (AI). 2004. Amnesty International Report 2004. "Algeria." <http://web.amnesty.org/web/web.nsf/print/2004-dza-summary-eng> [Accessed 3 August 2004]

Davis, Brian. May 2001. Canadian Embassy in Algeria. Rapport sur l'Algérie.

L'Expression [Alger]. 17 April 2004. A. Saïd. "24e anniversaire du printemps amazigh : Le MCB commémore l'événement." <http://www.lexpressiondz.com/print.php3?id=23636> [Accessed 4 August 2004]
_____. 14 August 2003. Larbi Graïne. "Clôture de l'université d'été du MCB : La coordination des associations amazighes est née." <http://www.lexpressiondz.com/print.php3?id=17702> [Accessed 4 August 2004]
_____. 4 August 2003. Mourad Sid-Ali. "Une délégation du MCB, conduite par Lounaouci, reçue par Zerhouni : Les dessous d'un accord secret." <http://www.lexpressiondz.com/print.php3?id=17448> [Accessed 4 August 2004]
_____. 3 August 2003. Kamel Aït Bessaï. "Université d'été : Ould Ali El-Hadi veut un MCB autonomne." <http://www.lexpressiondz.com/print.php3?id=17417> [Accessed 4 August 2004]
_____. 22 July 2003. S. Arezki. "Point de presse de Mouloud Lounaouci : 'Le MCB attaquera en justice l'État algérien.'" <http://www.lexpressiondz.com/print.php3?id=17105> [Accessed 4 August 2004]
_____. 27 April 2003. Mohamed Derar. "Le Mouvement culturel berbère dans tous ses états : Un MCB en chasse un autre." <http://www.lexpressiondz.com/print.php3?id=14955> [Accessed 4 August 2004]

Forced Migration Online. n.d. Michael Collyer. FMO Country Guide: Algeria. <http://www.forcedmigration.org/guides/fmo023/fmo023.pdf> [Accessed 4 August 2004]

International Crisis Group (ICG). 10 June 2003. Algeria: Unrest and Impasse in Kabylia. <http://www.crisisweb.org//library/documents/report_archive/A400996_10062003.pdf> [Accessed 4 August 2004]

Le Matin [Alger]. 18 April 2004. "La fondation Matoub Lounès et les deux MCB réagissent." <http://www.lematin-dz.net/imprime/?ida=18050> [Accessed 4 August 2004]
_____. 28 July 2003. M. Lounaouci. "Le MCB : 'La nécessaire rupture.'" <http://www.lematin-dz.net/imprime/?ida=7942> [Accessed 4 August 2004]
_____. 21 July 2003. "Le MCB va ester l'État algérien en justice." <http://www.lematin-dz.net/imprime/?ida=7633> [Accessed 4 August 2004]

Additional Sources Consulted

Attempts to contact the MCB in Algiers were unsuccessful.

Internet sites, including: Berber Cultural Movement (MCB), The Economist, European Country of Origin Information Network (ECOI), Freedom House, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Le Jeune indépendent, Liberté, La Nouvelle république, Le Soir d'Algérie, La Tribune, US Department of State, World News Connection (WNC).

Topics: Berber,