Celebrating Berber New Year Marks Shift in Algeria's Identity Politics

10 January 7, 2018 News & Analysis Maghreb Celebrating Berber new year marks shift in Algeria’s identity politics

Lamine Ghanmi Apulee, Massinissa and others,” he ings that are the result of a govern- added, naming historical figures ance that lacked farsightedness and known for defence of Berber iden- anticipation,” said Algerian writer Tunis tity and territory. Brahim Tazaghart. Algerian writer Kamel Daoud It followed the recognition of the lgeria will become the said: “The decision to make Yen- Berber language as an official and first North African coun- nayer a national holiday was to be national language alongside Arabic. try to celebrate the Ber- hailed because it would help, over “It is a historic and bold decision ber new year as a na- the long run, heal deep wounds and by President Bouteflika. It ends the tional public holiday. harvest fruits in the future.” dictatorship and obscurantism of TheA move signals a major shift in Analysts said Bouteflika an- the Ba’athist culture, which hurts identity politics, which had been nounced the recognition of the us each day by brandishing its rac- dominated by strife and tensions Berber holiday before the 12th an- ist concept of the Arab nation and between the government in Algiers niversary of the implementation of spawning hatred within society and and most of the Berber-speaking the Charter for Peace and National undermining the nation’s unity,” population in the restive north- Reconciliation to strengthen social said Algerian MP Khaled Tazaghart eastern Kabylie region. and political stability ahead of the from the Future Front party, an op- Berber activists hailed Algerian presidential election next year. position group. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s de- The charter, proposed by Boutef- Language and culture issues go to cision making the Berber new year lika to end the civil war by offering the heart of Algeria’s identity. It has day, Yennayer, a public holiday as amnesty for most acts of violence been a determining factor in rela- the crowning achievement of a his- committed in the conflict pitting tions with other countries. toric struggle and a victory against Islamist jihadists and the military, The French colonial authorities Recognising diversity. An Algerian man waves the Amazigh what they described as Algeria’s was endorsed by a referendum in banned Arabic in primary schools in flag as mourners attend the funeral procession and burial of “cultural tyranny of Arabism and 2005 and implemented in February Algeria, dismissing it as a backward Hocine Ait-Ahmed, one of the fathers of Algeria’s struggle for Arab Ba’athism.” The holiday will 2006. language. After independence, in independence and a key opposition figure in 2016. (AFP) be on January 12 this year. 1962, nationalist leaders adopted an “Who would believe that under Algeria will become Arabisation policy to undo the lin- the leadership of this president, the first North African guistic legacy of 132 years of French The spread of Arabic influenced children could speak but not write who had declared with an arro- country to celebrate occupation. Towards that end, they the Berbers for centuries, including in their native language led Algerian gant and threatening tone that recruited thousands of teachers from the 15th century and through officials to introduce the Tamazight Tamazight will never be recognised the Berber new year as from Egypt and Syria to fill positions the 17th century when Arabisation language into primary education. as an official language, that this lan- a national public left by fleeing French teachers. of Berbers was accelerated by waves In 2002, the government recog- guage would be enshrined in the holiday. However, most of the Egyptian of Andalusian refugees expelled nised the language as a national one constitution as a national and offi- and Syrian teachers were members from Spain. following a deadly protest. The lan- cial language and Yennayer would The conflict broke out in Decem- of the Muslim Brotherhood flee- Berbers maintained their tradi- guage was recognised as a national be declared a national holiday and ber 1991 after the army-backed gov- ing crackdowns by Arab national- tions, dialects and rituals even after and official language, on equal foot- paid day off for all Algerians?” asked ernment scrapped elections radi- ist leaders in Cairo and Damascus. accepting Islam as a religion, mainly ing with Arabic, in 2016. Ali Ait Djoudi, a veteran activist cal Islamists were poised to win. It Their massive presence in the edu- in Morocco and Algeria. Their total Berber activists have called on from the Berber Cultural Move- claimed the lives of an estimated cation system sparked a backlash number in the two countries is esti- the Algerian government to allocate ment, in a message on social media. 200,000 people, mostly civilians in parts of Algeria, especially in mated at 28 million. funding to the promotion and the Algerian writer Amin Zaoui said: killed by Islamists. Berber-speaking areas, against what Gradually, Algeria has met the de- use of their language. Thousands “At last, Algerians are reconciling “The decision over Yennayer was perceived as Arab domination mands of advocates of Berber cul- took to the streets in December to slowly with their history, their an- came in these moments of doubts with claims that the Arab teachers ture and language. back such a demand. cestors and their identity.” and multiple crises. It reinforces the had turned Algerian schools into A Berber uprising involving a “There is a long way to climb the cohesion of the nation by putting an “factories churning out fanatical school boycott in Kabylie region in Lamine Ghanmi is an Arab Weekly path of Lalla Dihya Kahena, Juba, end to unnecessary misunderstand- Psalmists.” 1995 by parents protesting that their correspondent in Tunis. ISIS tries to gain foothold in Libya, posing threat to Europe

However, ISIS’s presence in Libya terror efforts and protect its natural The army is preparing to enter appears sufficient to cause substan- resources. Derna, which is under the control of tial damage, especially with the “The United States stands by its extremist militias, a senior Libyan main Libyan factions more war- Libyan counterparts and supports military official said. Iman Zayat fatigued than they were one or two their efforts to combat terrorist The remaining ISIS pockets op- years ago. threats and defeat ISIS there,” AF- erate in the desert region of Sirte, While experts do not expect ISIS to RICOM spokeswoman Robyn Mack which overlooks the oil crescent. Tunis regain the influence it once had, its said, noting that ISIS is likely to plot The rugged terrain there includes strategy has proved successful. Many attacks on eastern Libya’s oil cres- many valleys and a vast stretch of efeated militarily in fear that Libya could turn into the cent, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper desert, giving ISIS an advantage over Iraq and Syria, the next front in the fight against ISIS. reported. advancing troops. Islamic State (ISIS) is “We’ve seen ISIS attempt to es- “At the moment, we believe that Libya has been mired in con- regrouping in south- tablish a foothold [in Libya],” Mark the organisation (ISIS-Libya) is likely flict since the ouster of Muammar ern and central Lib- Mitchell, the acting US assistant sec- to give priority to the restructuring Qaddafi in 2011. Today, Libya is ya,D seeking to gain a foothold in ar- retary of defence, said in December. of security forces and infrastructure, highly fragmented and large areas eas torn apart by years of violence. “They have not been successful. and to launch strikes, which may in- remain ungoverned. Attempts to With its capacity diminished, We’ve managed to strike some of clude targets in the Libyan oil cres- form a unity government have been however, the jihadist group seems their training camps and set them cent,” Mack was quoted as saying. unsuccessful. Such conditions make unable to seize large areas. It is re- back pretty significantly but it’s an the North African country a perfect verting to hit-and-run tactics to area where I think we’ll see them ISIS is believed haven for jihadists and fertile ground destabilise the country. continue.” to have about for recruiting fighters. “ISIS has become the enemy of While the stings of military defeats ISIS’s new front in Libya consti- the vast majority of the Libyan peo- in Syria and Iraq have thwarted ISIS’s 1,000 fighters tutes a serious threat to Europe, ple,” a report released by the Atlantic goal of creating an Islamic caliphate, active in which has islands less than 500km Council concluded in June 2017. the organisation is far from dead. Libya with most to the north. If ISIS gains control of The report, titled “The Origins In Libya, ISIS has repeatedly dem- of them in Libya’s coastline, it could control the and Evolution of ISIS in Libya,” indi- onstrated an ability to carry out at- central areas. flow of migrants into Europe and tap cated that ISIS suffered losses in the tacks against key targets. On October into an additional source of funding. Libyan cities of Derna and Sirte “by 4, the group hit a courthouse in Mis- LNA spokesman Brigadier-Gener- Libya’s porous borders would also killing too many people and brutally rata, killing four and wounding more al Ahmed al-Mesmari confirmed the give ISIS an opportunity to move crushing resistance.” than 40. The Libyan National Army reports to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat. “Yes, freely in and out of the territory and “I wouldn’t say the threat is ‘ma- (LNA), under the command of Field they have tried more than once to recruit more fighters. jor’ if we compare ISIS strength to- Marshal Khalifa Haftar — ISIS’s nem- reach the oil crescent,” he said. In March 2016, ISIS forces attempt- day to its potency in Libya two years esis in western Libya — has tried to The strategic oil crescent, 500km ed to seize the city of Ben Guerdane, ago,” said Jalel Harchaoui, a doctoral keep the group at bay. Last August, east of Tripoli, holds the country’s Tunisia, on the border with Libya, candidate in geopolitics at Paris 8 ISIS reportedly attacked an LNA largest oil reserves, as well as the but were repelled by the Tunisian University and a frequent commen- checkpoint in the southern town of ports of Sidra, Ras Lanuf and Brega. military and security forces with the tator on Libyan affairs Jufra, beheading nine fighters and In view of a ferocious economic support of townspeople. Immediate challenge. ISIS is believed to have about two civilians. crisis, Libya can hardly afford at- “Today, Tunisia, with internation- A member of the Libyan 1,000 fighters active in Libya with ISIS is expected to continue such tacks against its sole wealth-generat- al assistance, has stronger border se- National Army (LNA) most of them in central areas where attacks in 2018. Analysts said ISIS ing sector: oil installations. curity but we can still imagine a new aims his weapon during the jihadist group has kept a relative- wants to create a power vacuum af- LNA units have conducted pa- surprise attack against the country. fighting against jihadists in ly low profile. ter which it would step in to estab- trol missions in Libya’s oil crescent Algeria and Egypt are also possible Qanfudah, on the southern “The modus operandi of ISIS lish a caliphate. to monitor ISIS’s movements. The targets,” Harchaoui said. outskirts of Benghazi, seems more diffuse, more nimble The US Africa Command (AFRI- army also initiated air strikes, de- and mobile across a large swath of COM) said the United States would stroying ISIS camps near oil fields Iman Zayat is the Managing Editor (AFP) last January. territory,” Harchaoui said. continue to support Libya’s counter- and ports. of The Arab Weekly.