The Amazigh World Assembly denounces Algeria’s « state terrorism »
Excellencies,
- Mr. António Costa, President of the European Council
- Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
- Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, President of the Council of the European Union (EU)
- Ms. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament
- Ms. Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission
- & Members of the European Parliament,
Subject: Respect for Human Rights and the EU–Algeria Association Agreement
Excellencies,
On the occasion of the 46th anniversary of the “Berber Spring” and the 25th anniversary of the “Black Spring,” commemorated on April 20, allow me to solemnly draw your attention to the future of relations between Algeria and the European Union, and to raise the possibility of debating a suspension, even partial, of the EU–Algeria Association Agreement. Why?
Firstly, the current president and the Algerian generals, who hold real power, do not respect the spirit of the Association Agreement between Algeria and the European Union, stemming from the Barcelona Process of November 1995, signed in Valencia on April 22, 2002, and in force since September 1, 2005. Consequently, they clearly violate Article 1 of this agreement, which explicitly states: “the encouragement of Maghreb integration by promoting exchanges and cooperation within the Maghreb region and between it and the European Community and its Member States.”[1]
Secondly, the Algerian government also violates Article 2 of the Association Agreement, which clearly stipulates that: “The respect for democratic principles and fundamental human rights, as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, inspires the domestic and international policies of the Parties and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement.”
As a result, Algerian government officials no longer respect human rights.The European Parliament has already adopted resolutions denouncing violations of freedom of expression and human rights in Algeria [2], while also highlighting that these authorities practice an institutionalized policy of anti-Amazigh apartheid, constituting racial discrimination against Berber populations [3]. The commemoration of the “Berber Spring” has been banned since 2021, and during April events, Algerian authorities are regularly criticized for violations of public freedoms, associative life, and freedom of expression. They have banned the book signing of Les identités rebelles by sociologist Fatma Oussedik [4]. According to the human rights NGO “Riposte Internationale,” this ban has no legal basis and constitutes a clear violation of fundamental legal principles as well as the country’s Constitution (notably Articles 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 74, 75, and 76). Authorities have also sentenced the Franco-Algerian novelist Kamel Daoud to three years in prison and are seeking a five-year sentence against the peaceful activist Wafia Tidjani, imprisoned since March 4, 2025…
Thirdly, Algerian generals and their “illegitimate” president interfere in the internal affairs of North African countries and the European Union, thereby undermining the principle of “full and complete sovereignty of States.” They have notably been accused of interfering in the internal affairs of certain States by creating a separatist and terrorist-oriented political formation in the Kingdom of Belgium [5], as well as interfering in Mali’s internal affairs, contributing to its destabilization.
Fourthly, Algeria engages in what can be described as “state terrorism” and uses violence and terror as a mode of governance. The recent visit of Pope Leo XIV to Algeria cannot in any way erase the grim assassination of the seven French monks of Tibhirin [6], as well as the kidnapping of European hostages such as Pierre Camatte, Michel Germaneau, Antoine de Léocour, Vincent Delory, Pierre Legrand, Françoise Larribe, Daniel Larribe, Thierry Dol, Marc Féret, Serge Lazarevic, Philippe Verdon, Ghislaine Dupont, Claude Verlon, and Olivier Dubois… Tragically, some of these hostages were cowardly executed…
All were victims of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which, according to the study by François Gèze and Salima Mellah [7], was allegedly created with the involvement of Algeria’s DRS. Algerian military intelligence services would, without doubt, continue to manipulate the Tuareg Salafist leader Iyad Ag Ghali [8], who rebranded AQIM as “Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin” (GSIM or JNIM), a group that has recently attacked several Malian cities and imposed a blockade on the capital, Bamako. Jihadist groups, with the presumed complicity of Algerian intelligence services, appear to be on the verge of seizing power in Mali, opening the prospect of a new “Afghanistan” at Europe’s doorstep.
Recently, in April 2026, the French judiciary showed courage by including Algeria in investigations for “state terrorism.” This procedure concerns actions targeting opponents on French soil, notably the opponent Amir Dz (Amir Boukhors), in a case involving an Algerian consular agent accused by the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT). Similarly, another act of “state terrorism” attributed to Algerian intelligence services concerns the kidnapping of Algerian journalist and opposition figure Hicham Aboud, which occurred in October 2024 in Barcelona, Spain, and who was miraculously freed by Spain’s Guardia Civil in Lebrija.
Fifthly, as Algerian authorities remain obsessed with authoritarian practices, they encourage the illegal migration of their youth toward European shores, a phenomenon that continues to grow. Recently, Spanish coasts have increasingly received boats of “harragas.” With the destabilization of Sahel States and the risk of civil war in Mali between jihadists and secular Azawadian rebels, migration flows are expected to rise even further. The Canary Islands are already receiving waves of migrants fleeing Mali and other Sahel countries.
Ultimately, if you truly wish to help Algeria—and more broadly North African countries, with which your States share deep economic interests and a closely intertwined destiny—it is essential to call these Algerian high-ranking officers to responsibility.
It is necessary to demand that Algerian generals immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners, and to put an end to all forms of intimidation, judicial harassment, criminalization, arrests, or arbitrary detention targeting journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders, lawyers, demonstrators, and Amazigh activists. It is also essential to remind them that respect for democratic principles and fundamental rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights constitutes a core clause of the EU–Algeria Association Agreement.
It is equally necessary to require them to ensure genuine accountability and democratic oversight, notably the effective subordination of the armed forces to a legally and democratically constituted civilian authority, and to ensure that the role of the military, as defined in the Constitution, is strictly limited to national defense and the protection of land borders.
Pending careful consideration of these legitimate requests, and should the Algerian authorities fail to respond positively, show them the red card: the suspension of the EU–Algeria Association Agreement.
Please accept, Excellencies, the assurances of my highest consideration.
Rachid Raha, president of the Amazigh World Assembly (www.amamazigh.org)
Notes:
[2]- https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/RC-9-2023-0242_FR.pdf
[5]- https://amamazigh.org/2024/04/comment-lalgerie-essaie-de-destabiliser-leurope/
[7]- www.algeria-watch.org/fr/aw/gspc_etrange_histoire_intro.htm
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