A profound overhaul of the democratic and republican camps is essential to building a true rule of law. Without a united and structured force capable of loudly and clearly carrying the voice of freedom, an authoritarian regime will encounter only complicit silence or fragmented opposition. Beyond individual or careerist rationales, the mobilization of all sincere democratic forces is essential to building a credible alternative, worthy of the aspirations of a people: freedom, justice, and popular sovereignty.
Interview with the President of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) of Algeria.
Atmane Mazouz, born September 24, 1970, in Akbou (Kabylia), is an Algerian politician. He was elected as a member of parliament for the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) in the 2007 legislative elections in the Béjaïa constituency. During his term, he served as president of his party’s parliamentary group. He was elected president of the RCD on June 3, 2022.
Mr. Atmane Mazouz, what is the purpose of your visit to Canada?
Atmane Mazouz: My visit to Canada serves several complementary purposes. Its main goal is to strengthen ties with the Algerian diaspora, which represents a considerable pool of intelligence, skills, and critical and constructive voices. These Algerians living abroad, often marginalized in national political debates, aspire to real change in their country of origin. It is our duty to include them, listen to them, and involve them in the democratic project we are promoting.
This initiative is part of a process of dialogue and awareness-raising with our emigrants. We wish to engage with Canadian institutions, researchers, parliamentarians, and civil society actors on democratic issues, human rights, and the prospects for political transition in Algeria. It also includes a political and diplomatic dimension. Canada, with its solid experience in pluralism, cultural diversity, and federal governance, represents a model, some elements of which can inform our thinking. Our goal is to draw useful lessons from this experience, not to copy a model, but to inform our thinking on the necessary institutional overhaul in Algeria.
Some criticize the RCD for its lack of pragmatism in the face of the current political situation in Algeria. What do you think?
Atmane Mazouz: Pragmatism cannot justify compromising with an authoritarian system. Since its creation, the RCD has opted for an unwavering commitment to democracy, secularism, and social justice.
We fully adhere to our political line, which is one of clarity. We are often criticized for our lack of pragmatism because we refuse any compromise with the system and dubious arrangements. But what does pragmatism mean in a context where the rules of the game are distorted, where justice is exploited, and where political space is closed?
We believe that true pragmatism lies in anchoring ourselves in the reality of the Algerian people, who have demonstrated through the Hirak their deep desire for change. It is by engaging in dialogue with society, not with the power clans tearing each other apart, that we build a viable alternative. The RCD has paid a high price for its political integrity, but it is precisely this consistency that gives us credibility.
What is the human rights situation in Algeria?
Atmane Mazouz: The human rights situation in Algeria is alarming. Since the 2019 popular uprising, the government has responded neither with reform nor dialogue, but with repression. Hundreds of activists, opponents, journalists, and ordinary citizens have been imprisoned or harassed for social media posts, peaceful protests, or defending fundamental rights.
Freedom of expression is stifled, the press is monitored or silenced, and the judiciary is being used as a tool of political deterrence. This regression is all the more serious because it comes at a time of economic and social crisis, where citizens need transparency, justice, and a listening ear more than ever.
How can you to attract young people to the party given the current situation of fear in Algerian political life?
Atmane Mazouz: The situation of fear and terror created by the authorities is precisely aimed at disengaging young people, at convincing them that political action is futile, dangerous or useless.
Our responsibility at the RCD is to break this inevitability by rehabilitating the meaning of commitment. This requires telling the truth, opening up to new generations, and adapting our structures, with new organizations dedicated to youth and women, to new, more flexible and more enterprising forms of activism.
Above all, we must give young people reasons for hope: a clear political project, an ethic of responsibility, and concrete prospects for participation. We are not promising careers, but a collective fight for a free, just, and modern Algeria. And we know that many young people are ready to commit to it if we offer them a dignified and coherent framework.
The May 24th rally in Algiers has been canceled. Can you explain the reasons for this cancellation?
Atmane Mazouz: It’s a ban. The cancellation, as you say, of the May 24th rally in Algiers was not our fault, but rather the result of an arbitrary decision by the authorities, who continue to confiscate public space and criminalize peaceful mobilization.
This gathering, however, aimed to recall legitimate demands: the opening of spaces for expression and organization, the release of prisoners of conscience, the establishment of conditions for democratic transition and the end of impunity.
By rejecting this type of initiative, the government demonstrates its fear of the emergence of an autonomous, mobilizing, and hopeful political force, not because of potential unrest, but because it knows that the people have not forgotten and that their thirst for justice and freedom remains strong. Faced with this obstruction, our duty is to maintain the mobilization in other forms, while preserving the safety of our activists and our many supporters.
What is your view of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s policies during his second term?
Atmane Mazouz: The Algerian president’s policy is in line with that of the regime from which he came: authoritarianism, opacity, and a lack of structural reforms.
The second term, like the first, is part of a systemic survival strategy based on repression, the purchase of social peace through annuities, and facade diplomacy. No serious reforms of the justice system, the administration, or the economy have been undertaken.
In reality, we are facing a presidency without vision, with limited popular legitimacy, which governs solely through the instrumentalization of the security apparatus. In a rapidly changing world, this inertia is not only dangerous for the future of the country, but it also exacerbates mistrust between the state and its citizens.
What is the current situation in the Sahel region and what is your sight on the problems it faces?
Atmane Mazouz: The Sahel region is currently at a crossroads. It faces multiple challenges: the collapse of certain states, the rise of armed groups, the impact of climate change, and geostrategic competition between foreign powers. This chaos benefits criminal networks and extremist ideologies, with direct consequences for Algeria’s security.
Our country must emerge from its diplomatic isolation and adopt a more coherent foreign policy based on regional cooperation, sustainable development, and citizen diplomacy. Algeria, as a regional power, must play a stabilizing role based on cooperation and development. It can only be a credible actor in the Sahel if it restores its internal legitimacy and defends a North African and African vision based on solidarity between peoples.
Why is Russia invading Ukraine and why is Ukraine important to the United States?
Atmane Mazouz: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a feature of a return to imperial logic in international relations. Through this war, Moscow is seeking to reconfigure the European order, weaken NATO, and restore a sphere of influence to its former margins. This conflict extends far beyond Ukraine’s borders: it calls into question the future of international law, the sovereignty of peoples, and global stability.
Ukraine is important to the United States and the Western world not only strategically, but also symbolically: it is also a test of the democratic world’s ability to defend its values. For people, it is a reminder that freedom is never taken for granted, that it must be defended, even against nuclear powers.
The conflict between Morocco and Algeria has been going on for a decade. How do you think it can be resolved?
Atmane Mazouz: The conflict between Morocco and Algeria is a stalemate fueled by the logic of regimes rather than that of peoples. It is urgent to move beyond the logic of confrontation. It is absurd and counterproductive for two brotherly countries to waste their energy on antagonism when so many common challenges, economic, environmental, and security, await them.
The first step toward a resolution is the initiation of a sincere political dialogue, without escalation or nationalist posturing. The Western Sahara issue must be addressed with respect for international law and the will of the peoples concerned. But beyond that, we must dare to pursue a long-term North African vision, where cooperation prevails over animosity. This is what the RCD has always called for.
How did you perceive Canada’s system of governance given its regional diversity? Can this mode of operation be applied to Algeria?
Atmane Mazouz: The Canadian system, based on flexible and inclusive federalism, demonstrates that it is possible to manage diversity without fracturing national unity. I have had extensive discussions with Canadian political actors about their organizational and governance model.
In Canada, the recognition of cultural and linguistic specificities, particularly in Quebec or among indigenous peoples, is not seen as a threat, but as an asset.
In Algeria, we need institutional reform that recognizes plurality and empowers regions to govern themselves. It’s not about dividing the country, but rather about managing it in a fairer, more transparent, and more citizen-friendly manner. Jacobin centralism has failed.
A more decentralized system of governance, respectful of local and regional specificities, particularly in the Aurès, Oranie, Kabylia, and the southern…., would constitute a path toward a peaceful and representative democracy. The centralized unitary state has shown its limits. It is time to think about a pluralist Algeria.
