Algeria concerned about UAE’s support for separatist group
A damning report from investigative platform Dark Box published on 6th January details an explosive behind-the-scenes crisis between Algeria and the UAE over the funding of a separatist group. The core issue is suspected ties between the Emirati regime and the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylia (MAK), classified as a terrorist group in Algeria.
The MAK’s president Ferhat Mehenni, exiled in France, recently announced Kabylia’s independence from Algeria and declared himself its president during a conference in Paris.
According to sources close to the Algerian leadership, there are concerns that the UAE has been “enabling the movement politically and financially”. This is perceived as a clear attack on Algeria’s sovereignty and an attempt to destabilize the state, and the regime is reportedly considering severing its diplomatic ties with the Emirati state, which could represent an unprecedented escalation in the crisis.
There are ongoing investigations in France over the funding of the MAK and its leaders, and Algeria is concerned that the UAE has been lobbying French authorities to shield key figures of the movement. Mehenni in particular was sentenced in absentia to 20 years in prison in January 2024, along with 6 other activists.
They were charged with “committing terrorist and subversive acts targeting the security of the state”, although their defense team denied the charges and denounced the lack of evidence. Algeria also accused the movement of plotting with foreign intelligence services to sabotage the 2024 elections.
The MAK was originally founded in 2001 in the midst of the “Black Spring” clashes between Algerian authorities and separatist activists. Mehenni was a well known singer before he entered the political arena, but his controversial views, such as his support for Israel and his secular outlook, have been badly received in Algeria. The movement has been trying to rally support in Europe, meeting with UK officials in 2024 to raise its profile, but it has very limited following in Kabylia.
Dark Box, Le Monde, Maghrebi.org
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