The Amazigh are also known by the name “Berber”, which derives from the Roman term for “barbarian”, a name given to anyone who did not speak Latin. Amazigh (plural Imazigen) means “free man”. The Amazigh are the indigenous people of Algeria, as well as of other countries of North Africa and the Sahara, and have been present in these territories since ancient times.

The Algerian government, however, does not recognise the indigenous status of the Amazigh. Because of this, there are no official statistics concerning the number of Amazigh in Algeria. On the basis of demographic data relating to the territories in which Tamazight-speaking populations live, associations defending and promoting the Amazigh culture estimate the Tamazight-speaking population at around 10 million people, or 1/3 of Algeria’s total population.

Internationally, Algeria has ratified the main international standards, and it voted in favour of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007. However, these texts remain unknown to the vast majority of citizens and, thus, not applied, which has led to the UN treaty monitoring bodies making numerous observations and recommendations to Algeria in this regard.

International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, The Indigenous World 2011