UN-EMRIP country engagement

The main purpose of this meeting, requested by the CMA, was to officially submit two requests for assistance to the EMRIP, one concerning Kabylia and the other concerning the Amazigh people of Libya, in accordance with Human Rights Council Resolution No. 33/25 of September 30, 2016, on the mandate of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

 

On the Kabyle issue, the CMA members first explained in detail the repression in all its forms, the persecution, hatred, racism and racial discrimination, the crimes, imprisonment, banishment, and the policy of impoverishment that the Kabyle people have suffered since Algeria's independence over 60 years ago. Currently, several hundred Kabyles are imprisoned, and 39 of them have been sentenced to death, accused of "terrorism or undermining national unity" under Article 87 bis of the Algerian Penal Code, which has been deemed inconsistent with international law by several UN bodies. Members of our organization, the Congrès Mondial Amazigh / Amazigh World Congress, which has collaborated with the United Nations for over three decades, are constantly subjected to reprisals from the Algerian authorities.

 

The dispute between Algeria and Kabylia is deep and historical. This is explained by the fact that Algeria, which defines itself as "Arab and Islamic", does not accept the existence of the Kabyle-Amazigh people, a distinct, indigenous people of North Africa. Algeria is implementing a plan to eradicate everything that is not Arab and Muslim in this country. But despite the violence and suffering they endure, the Kabyles have always acted peacefully and demanded a resolution to the conflict between them and the Algerian state through dialogue and on the basis of international law relating to human and peoples' rights. But the Algerian governments have never sincerely and constructively responded to the Kabyles' offers of peaceful solutions. On the contrary, repression has been the only response of the Algerian authorities to the legitimate demands of the Kabyle people. These are recalled each year by millions of people, particularly during the collective celebrations of Yennayer, the Amazigh New Year and the popular demonstrations of Tafsut Imazighen, the Amazigh Spring.

 

Consequently, given the indigenous nature of the Kabyle people, the intervention of the United Nations, through its Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, appears to us to be relevant, legitimate, necessary, and urgent. Therefore, as an organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of Amazigh rights, with the support of several Kabyle organizations and individuals, the Congrès Mondial Amazigh / Amazigh World Congress today officially requests the EMRIP to:

 

1- Inform and advise representatives of Kabylia on ways and means to protect and promote the rights of the Kabyle people, in accordance with international law and, in particular, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ;

2- Raise awareness and invite the Algerian government to engage in dialogue with representatives of Kabylia, and support and facilitate the smooth running of this dialogue, with the aim of reaching an agreement that includes concrete legislative and administrative measures to end the oppression and repression suffered by the Kabyle people, to resolve the state of permanent tension and conflict, and to enable the Kabyle people to access and enjoy all their rights, in accordance with international law and, in particular, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

 

It is understood that the "representatives of Kabylia" will be appointed at the appropriate time by the Kabyles themselves and according to their own procedures, without any form of interference from the Algerian authorities.

 

Regarding the case of Libya, the EMRIP's request for intervention was submitted by the High Council of Amazighs of Libya (HCAL), in collaboration with the Congrès Mondial Amazigh / Amazigh World Congress (CMA). In the absence of the HCAL delegation, which was unable to travel to Geneva due to visa limitations, the CMA presented the case concerning the Amazighs of Libya.

 

The CMA representatives briefly explained that since the formation of the Libyan state 65 years ago, the Amazighs of that country have consistently suffered forced assimilation, political and socioeconomic marginalization, racism and discrimination, and violations of their political, economic, social, cultural, and linguistic rights. The Amazighs of Libya were particularly repressed during the era of former dictator Gaddafi and were also dispossessed of their land and natural resources, such as oil and natural gas.

 

Although no Constitution has yet been adopted due to the civil war that has been ongoing in the country since 2011, the Libyan authorities clearly define Libya as an "Arab country, of Sunni Muslim religion", with Arabic as its sole official language. The Amazigh people of Libya are not recognized and do not enjoy any rights as the indigenous people of the country. Consequently, if things remain as they are, the rights of the Amazigh people of Libya will continue to be violated, with the significant risk of the total disappearance of the Amazigh presence in the country. But the Amazigh reject this grim prospect, which threatens their survival. They want their millennia-old civilization to continue to thrive in their historical territories.

 

Currently, Libya has two parliaments and two governments: one based in Benghazi and controlling the east and much of the south of the country, and the other, based in Tripoli, controlling the west. It is the latter that is recognized by the UN.

 

The chaotic situation in Libya has been experiencing for nearly 15 years has pushed the Amazigh people of this country to take their destiny into their own hands by reestablishing their traditional system of governance and autonomous management of their territories. Today, they consider this experience to be very positive in all areas and therefore seek recognition by the Libyan state of autonomous status for their territories. Only such status can create the conditions necessary to protect Amazigh communities and ensure the sustainable development of their territories.

 

To achieve these goals, the Amazigh people of Libya need the expertise and advice of EMRIP members to prepare for negotiations with the Libyan authorities, with the aim of achieving a special status for Amazigh territories, in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This project is both consistent with the aspirations of the Amazigh people of Libya and brings peace and prosperity to the entire country.

 

The High Council of the Amazigh of Libya, with the support of the CMA, therefore requests the UN Expert Mechanism to:

 

1- Inform and advise them on their collective rights, as set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;

2- Examine and develop, with Amazigh institutions, the measures, including legislative measures, necessary to implement Amazigh rights;

3- Invite Libyan government authorities to open a dialogue with Amazigh representatives in Libya and facilitate this dialogue, with a view to reaching an agreement on a special legal status for the Amazigh territories of Libya, in accordance with Amazigh traditions and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

 

To conclude the meeting, the EMRIP President thanked the CMA delegation and pledged to carefully examine the two requests (concerning Kabylia and the Amazighs of Libya) and to get back to the applicants as soon as possible. The CMA representatives thanked the President and the experts as well as the EMRIP secretariat for their attention and assured them of its willingness to provide them with any additional information if necessary and eagerly hoped for an upcoming visit by EMRIP experts to Kabylia and the Amazigh territories of Libya.

 

Palais des Nations, Geneva, July 20, 2025

The Board of CMA.