Algeria enacts reforms and gives Berber language official status



ALGIERS: -- The Algerian government has passed a reform package including granting the Berber language official status and re-instating the two-term limit for the presidency. The government says the reforms will strengthen democracy, with measures like an independent electoral commission and recognition of the roles of women and youth in society.

The Berbers were the original inhabitants of Algeria before the seventh century Arab invasion, and number some 13 million in the current population of around 41 million.

While Algeria has avoided the unrest in many Arab nations triggered by the Arab Spring its energy-based economy is stuttering and the question of who will succeed the ailing President Bouteflika is creating tension and in-fighting at the top.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-02-08

Glad to hear this. Col Ghadafi in Libya used to lock Berbers up for speaking their local language instead of Arabic.

That is fantastic. I the news in France we've been hearing how Algeria rule is tough, antidemocratic, islamist and so on...

but it seems we have much to learn from them... we should follow their lead and give Basque, Corsican and many others the right to officially have their languages.

French people think they are at the spear of freedom and democracy while we seem to be well behind the ones we point fingers at.

That is fantastic. I the news in France we've been hearing how Algeria rule is tough, antidemocratic, islamist and so on...

but it seems we have much to learn from them... we should follow their lead and give Basque, Corsican and many others the right to officially have their languages.

French people think they are at the spear of freedom and democracy while we seem to be well behind the ones we point fingers at.

Berber will no doubt become an official language of France sometime soon.