Berber Arouch Citizen's Movement

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The Arouch Movement, Berber Arouch Citizen's Movement, or simply Arouch, is an organization representing Algerian Berbers. Their name, "Arouch", is the plural form of the word "Arch", referring to a traditional Kabyle form of democratic assembly. The movement is based in Kabylie, where it was started after the Black Spring disturbances in 2001, in which tens of Berber protesters were killed by Algerian police. The organization's leader and spokesperson is Belaïd Abrika[1]. According to the US State Department, the movement's leadership has faced state harassment.[2]

[edit] Goals

The Arouch has stated political goals in a document known as the El Kseur Platform. Among them are:

• Recognition of the Berber language as an official language along with Arabic.
• Expanded democracy.
• Expanded social rights.

Contrary to popular misconceptions, the Arouch is an "Algerianist" movement, and thus opposed to any sort of autonomy of any region in Algeria. Belaïd Abrika has even refused to shake hands with a Kabyle autonomist, Ferhat Mehenni of the Movement for the autonomy of the Kabylie (MAK).

[edit] See also

• Berber people
• Politics of Algeria
• Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) - The main Liberal Berber party.
• Front of Socialist Forces (FFS) - The main Socialist Berber party.
• Movement for the autonomy of the Kabylie (MAK) - A pro-autonomy Kabyle movement.

[edit] External links

• Africa Institute of South Africa report
• U.S. Department of State 2004 Report on Human Rights Practices in Algeria