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 126 kabyle protesters were killed by Algerian gendarmes. The Arouch have a horizontal Leadership and it has no leader, however charismatic arouch representitives like Belaïd Abrika have emerged. According to the US State Department, the movement's leadership has faced state harassment.[1]

[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.

The Arouch views about the status of Kabylie are as diverse as the number of its representitives, some support a federal state, others support a regional autonomy, and the rest are for decentralizing.

[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

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