Why did some Amazigh groups resist Algeria’s Arabization policy?

Following Algeria's independence, the government implemented an official policy of Arabization designed to promote indigenous Arabic and Islamic cultural values throughout society. This policy replaced French with Arabic as the primary language of instruction in schools and as the national medium of communication.12

Some Amazigh groups resisted this policy primarily because they feared domination by the Arabic-speaking majority. This resistance was further fueled by the fact that many Amazigh individuals had been educated in French, making the transition to Arabic-only instruction particularly disruptive.13

The government’s efforts to promote a unified national identity often marginalized separate Amazigh cultural and linguistic expressions, which authorities frequently viewed as relics of colonialism incompatible with national unity. In response to this pressure, Amazigh communities—particularly in the Kabylie region—engaged in protests and advocacy to preserve their heritage. These efforts eventually led to the recognition of the Amazigh language as a national language in 2002 and as an official language in 2016.31