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Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia |
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Regional Representatives :
Regional Representative : Abdellah HITOUS, Amazigh, Morocco
Deputy Representative : HANDAINE Mohammed, Amazigh, Morocco
Women's Representative : Nait Sid KAMIRA, Amazigh, Algeria
Background and ethnic overview
The indigenous peoples of North Africa are the Imazighn, known as Berbers to the West and including the nomadic and oasis dwelling Tuareg people in the south.
They claim their indigenous identity in the face of pressures for cultural, linguistic and political assimilation into an Arab and Arabic language identity by the States of North Africa. This ‘Arabism’ dates from the 1950s liberation movement and is a source of conflict in the region.
The Amazigh dialects and languages, which include Tamashek, Tamazight and Tashlheut, share the same origin as well as the ancient Tifinagh alphabet. The Imazighn of the Canary Islands are active members of the indigenous peoples movement, celebrating their cultural roots. The diverse Amazigh cultural movement is united under the umbrella organization, the World Amazigh Congress.
Regional Review
The situation in Algeria remains sensitive. In Kabylie, in Northern Algeria, protests and actions by the Amazigh movement have led to the recognition of the region's Amazigh identity and the free use of the language in public and schools. Despite this, Amazigh identity is still being challenged in other parts of the country, notably the south where the Government appears to be implementing a deliberate campaign of resettlement and arabisation of Tuareg territories, particularly the important city of Tamanrasset.
In 2005, Tunis hosted the follow up meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). There was major indigenous participation, in part sponsored by Canada. Indigenous peoples from the region attended the event.
Tuareg delegates from Djanet and Tamanrasset participated in the 2006 Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the Sahara and Sahel, held in Agadez, Niger. The activists expressed their concerns over serious environmental problems in the area, and their frustration that opportunities for income generation arising from European tourism and National Parks were not addressing the needs of indigenous peoples or providing much revenue to these poor territories. Tourism is mostly controlled by European companies without effective partnerships with local communities. Indigenous people are rich in knowledge about the territories and biodiversity but are generally not employed as guides, trackers, hosts or in anti-poaching.
Morocco has seen impressive changes in favour of democratisation since the ascension to the throne of His Majestry Mohammed VI. Even though the Amazigh people are more than half the population of Morocco, their language and identity was suffocated during years of arabisation policies of the preceding regime.
The young king has lifted the interdiction on the use of Berber language (Tamazigh) in schools. A Royal Commission on Amazigh Culture and Language has been established with leading cultural activists assisting to define policies, standards and curriculum. 2005 saw the second year of Tamazight curriculum in the primary school system.
Alliances and networks
Tamaynut, the national Amazigh cultural network in Morocco, has more than 30 affiliated members in urban and rural areas. This indigenous civil society network is the largest in Africa. Tamaynut has struggled to promote the use of Tamazight and the recognition of Amazigh culture. Its members are also involved in the promotion of literacy, craft and cottage industries notably for women in rural areas.
Tamaynut in cooperation with the International Labour Office (ILO) engaged in a study on customary law of indigenous peoples. The Moroccan activists have shifted their attention from language and cultural issues to concerns about land rights, development of the rural economy and the role of National Parks.
Tamaynut has received a special accreditation for indigenous issues via the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC).
In 1996, Tamaynut participated in the creation of L’Espace association, a Moroccan NGO which has as its objective the institutional backing of the associative action which pursues democratic development. The Espace associative network is composed of twenty associations and physical individuals. During the course of its ten years of existence, Tamaynut activists have been part of Espace‘s top management.
The Tamaynut organisation is a founding member of The World Amazigh Congress (CMA), an NGO created in 1995, by the Amazigh activists from the four corners of the globe. It regroups the Amazigh activists of Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Mali, Niger, the Canary Isles and the diaspora. This organisation is an assembly of Amazigh activists across the world presenting themselves as a trans-national lobby group in favour of Amazigh rights, essentially linguistic and cultural.
The indigenous francophone coordination (CAF) is a network which was created in Agadir on 4 November 2006, regrouping indigenous NGOs whose common denominator is the French language. The network is based in Canada and presided over by the Vice-President of the Tamaynut organisation.
In November 2006, Association Tamunt n Iffus (a confederation of Amazigh associations of the South) held an international colloquium on Indigenous Peoples in the Francophone world. The event was supported by the Francophone Co-ordination of Indigenous Peoples (CAF) with funding from IWGIA France and the European Union. Indigenous peoples attended from Africa, the Pacific, Canada and French Guyana. The conference dealt with issues of legal heritage in the French speaking world, media, tourism, and equitable access to the United Nations system.
2007 update from IPACC members:
The current situation in Morocco may be considered a transitionary phase. It’s the link between a period of pure and simple marginalisation of Tamazight and the existence of the Amazigh, and a period marked by the expression of the King of Morocco of his willingness to turn the page and recognise the legitimate right to Tamazight.
The first period dates from 1956 to 2001 ; the second period commenced in 2001. Meanwhile, this transition may result in numerous scenarios which may either ameliorate the position of the Amazigh, or maintain the status quo and make the King’s 2001 discourse simply a gesture towards appeasement and the recovery of a segment of the Amazigh elite.
A broad outline of this situation follows:
- Teaching difficulties relating to the Amazigh language in primary schools;
- A curbed integration of the Amazigh language and culture in the public media ;
- The right to land is scoffed at more and more, resulting in uncertainty and impoverishment for the Amazigh communities ;
- A non-favourable juridical environment that’s openly hostile at times to the promotion and upliftment of Amazigh rights. This juridical environment is framed by an undemocratic constitution which permits the marginalisation and disregard of Tamazight and the rights of the Amazighs ;
- An Amazigh society that is more and more active and which has succeeded with large projects for the Amazigh communities. Notably with regard to durable development thanks to active development associations in regions neglected by the government ;
- An in-depth project undertaken by the Tamaynut organisation and the Tamunt n Iffus confederation, especially with respect to rewriting the history and valorising the cultural and juridical heritage of the Amazigh. We point out, by way of example, the immense work on Amazigh customary law carried out by Tamaynut in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation ;
- The Amazigh communities who continue to suffer as a result of the State’s policies of disengagement in the social sectors. Knowing that these policies still remain faithful to the beneficial/non-beneficial duality within Morocco, with all its disastrous consequences for the lives of thousands of Amazigh, who for the most part live in areas of Morocco perceived as (economically) non-essential by the government.
Thus the Amazigh people of Morocco are confronted by the following major challenges :
- The governmental policies that favour the marginalisation and the disrespect of the Amazigh language, culture and identity ;
- The growing State monopolisation of Amazigh community lands that are redistributed to the wealthy and potential investors ;
- An incredible lack of political willingness to find reasonable solutions to the Amazigh issue ;
- A regional political environment which preaches assimilation based on heritage but counters the same. Such assimilation initiatives are vigorous throughout all North African countries and are a common political denominator among the goverments of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya ;
- A cultural and linguistic globalisation which progressively threatens the language and culture of the Amazigh;
- The precarious nature and poverty of the Amazigh communities which is accentuated by the State’s policies of disengagement ;
Future events which will have an important impact on the rights of the Amazigh peoples in the region are :
- The unfolding of the question of the Sahara, notably the Moroccan proposition for an extended autonomy, as a solution permitting auto-determination, may have huge consequences for the future of the Amazigh people of Morocco. Particularly since the Sahara region is known to be one of the regions where the Amazigh presence is strong, and equally because of the fact of the impact of self-government for the Sahara with regard to the situation of other regions of Morocco that will not put off laying claim to greater autonomy and the sharing of political power, wealth and values. The Moroccan proposition was presented to the General Assembly of the United Nations in April 2007, and the negotiations between the different parties implicated will commence in the month of June under the auspices of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
- The political reforms anticipated in Morocco, notably the constitutional reforms, could bring an advancement to the Amazigh people, even if it were only a recognition of the reality of the Amazigh and their linguistic and cultural identity. Realising that such an acknowledgement would be the concretisation and validation by supreme law of a political willingness expressed by the King of Morocco in 2001 – a willingness which has permitted, for the first time in the history of Morocco, a recognition of the marginalistion inflicted upon the Amazigh and which has placed in the limelight a certain number of measures for addressing injustices with regard to the language and culture of the Amazigh.
- The actions of the Amazigh networks for reclaiming the constitutionalistion of the Amazigh language and culture, and for whom the years 2007 and 2008 will reveal the colour of state politics in opposition to Tamazight. 2008 is, for the Amazigh people of Morocco, a benchmark year for the evolution of the Amazigh case. These actions are of considerable importance given that the current constitution is a major hindrance for the promotion and legal recognition of Tamazight.
Environmental issues for indigenous peoples in North Africa:
Deforestation and climate change continue to be urgent issues for indigenous peoples in North Africa. The destruction of grazing lands, deforestation, drought, access to safe water, destruction of plants and animals, and the displacement of indigenous peoples are all ongoing problems. Another major concern is how to help protect and promote how indigenous peoples pass knowledge from one generation to another. Members of the IPACC Executive Committee met in Bujumbura, Burundi from 16-19 April 2007 to discuss how these problems can be addressed by a marriage between national Environmental policies and recognition and participation of indigenous peoples and their knowledge systems.
North African delegates were concerned about climate changes and increasing drought. They felt that old knowledge of water management in pastoralism and arid area agriculture needs more attention and recognition. The rush to modernisation in agriculture has put aquifers at risk now that the climate is changing.
For full details of the IPACC Executive Committee meeting in Bujumbura see this IPACC article.
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