Ferhat Mehenni (; born March 5, 1951) also known as Ferhat Imazighen Imula () is a Kabyle politician in exile, writer, protest singer, musician and songwriter, founder and first President of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia. He has been President of the Kabyle Government in Exile since June 1, 2010.
Career and Politics
Early life Mehenni was born on March 5, 1951, in Illoula Oumalou, Tizi Ouzou Province, Algeria. He graduated from the University of Algiers with a degree in political science. Soon after, he began his career as a protest singer and political activist.
Activism Due to his struggle for human rights and advocacy for Amazigh and indigenous cultural rights, Mehenni was arrested 13 times, imprisoned for three years, and tortured repeatedly by Algeria's military regime.
In response to the Black Spring massacre in Kabylia, Mehenni established the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylia (MAK). The MAK was later reformed into the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia.
Mehenni's eldest son, Améziane Mehenni, was assassinated in 2004.
Pro-Israel Mehenni has long been an outspoken supporter of Israel, drawing comparisons between his own cause and the Zionist cause. He made a visit to Israel in 2012, meeting Likud hardliners such as Danny Danon, and took part in a pro-Israel demonstration in Paris in October 2023 amid the Gaza war. The relationship has been described as consistent with Israel's periphery doctrine.
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
References