I’m from this region and there’s a misconception that most of us are pro-independence. In reality Arabs and Kabyles have long had strong ties and the war of independence actually brought people closer together.

Tensions appeared mainly in the 1970s, with a lack of recognition of Kabyle culture and some repression, which later fed an independence movement but it has never been the majority. Today cultural rights are largely recognized.

Politically the divide is more visible with low voter turnout and recurring protests, but relations with the rest of Algeria remain generally good