Ferhat Mehenni

Ferhat Mehenni (Kabyle: Ferḥat Mhenni; born March 5, 1951) is a Kabyle politician, writer, protest singer, musician and songwriter, founder and first President in June 5, 2001 of the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylia (MAK) renamed in October 4, 2013 to Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia. He has been President of the Kabyle Provisional Government since June 1, 2010.

Ferhat Mehenni
Photo taken at the gathering of September 4, 2011, on the Plaza of Human Rights in Paris
President of the MAK
Incumbent
Assumed office June 4, 2010
MAK Chairman
In office August 24, 2001 – December 9, 2011
Succeeded by	Bouaziz Ait Chebib
Personal details
Born	(1951-03-05) March 5, 1951 (age 74) Illoula Oumalou, Tizi Ouzou Province, Algeria
Citizenship	Algerian
Political party	RCD (1989–1997) MAK (2001–present)
Alma mater	University of Algiers
Profession	Politician
Awards	NONE

In 2012, Mehenni was subjected to controversy after visiting Israel, where he voiced his support and solidarity for Israel, comparing it to Kabylia.^[1] In 2021, Mehenni's organization, MAK, has been classified as a terrorist organisation in Algeria after claims from the Algerian authorities saying that MAK members were planning car bombs. Mehenni was arrested by the French authorities and placed in police custody in 2021 as part of an investigation into organised money laundering in relation to sports betting.^[2]

Career and Politics

Early life

Mehenni was born on March 5, 1951, in Illoula Oumalou, Tizi Ouzou Province, Kabylia. He graduated from the University of Algiers with a degree in political science.^[3] Soon after, he began his career as a protest singer and political activist.^[4]

Activism

Due to his hostility towards the Algerian government and extremists, Mehenni was arrested 13 times, imprisoned for 3 years, and tortured repeatedly by government forces.^[5]

In response to the Black Spring massacre in Kabylia, Mehenni established the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylia. The MAK was later reformed into the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia.^[6]

Mehenni's eldest son, Améziane Mehenni, was assassinated in 2004.^[4]

Discography

• Chants révolutionnaires de Kabylie (1979)
• Chants berbères de lutte et d'espoir (1981)
• L'Algérie a 20 ans (1983)
• Chants d'acier...d'amour et de liberté (1994)
• Chants de feu et de l'eau (1996)
• Hymne à la Kabylie (2002)
• Requiem et Espoir (2008)
• Liberté pour la Kabylie (2015)

Publications

• Mehenni, Ferhat (2004). Algérie : la question kabyle. Paris: Éditions Michalon. p. 187. ISBN 978-2-84186-226-9.
• Mehenni, Ferhat (2010). Le siècle identitaire [la fin des États post-coloniaux] (in French). Paris: Éditions Michalon. p. 192. ISBN 978-2-84186-544-4.
• Mehenni, Ferhat (2013). Afrique : le casse-tête français [La France va-t-elle perdre l'Afrique ?] (in French). Paris: Les éditions de Passy. p. 112. ISBN 978-2-35146-054-2.
• Mehenni, Ferhat (2015). Noël en otage (in French). Paris: Éditions Michalon. p. 192. ISBN 978-2-84186-814-8.
• Mehenni, Ferhat (2017). Kabylie [Mémorandum pour l'indépendance] (in French). Paris: Éditions Fauves. p. 286. ISBN 979-10-302-007-75.
• Mehenni, Ferhat (2021). Réflexions dans le feu de l'action [Histoire de la renaissance du peuple kabyle] (in French). Paris: Éditions Fauves. p. 374. ISBN 979-10-302-0392-9.