Bengrina: Algeria’s Unity Must Be Protected from Separatist Agendas
Abdelkader Bengrina, president of the El-Bina (construction) Movement, said that protecting Algeria today begins with rejecting any project aimed at fragmenting the country’s collective memory in the service of divisive agendas, including separatist movements such as the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), which is classified as a terrorist organization by Algerian authorities.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the movement’s summer university, Bengrina said there was no need to reinterpret the movement’s position on such projects, which he described as targeting Algeria’s unity and sovereignty and seeking to sow the idea of a rupture between part of the Algerian people and their homeland. He stressed that confronting such efforts requires rejecting any attempt to turn regional identity into a political project directed against the national state.
In the same context, Bengrina stressed that Algeria’s strength has always lain, and will continue to lie, in the unity of its people and their solidarity with the People’s National Army. He said the unity of the Algerian people and their army remains one of the country’s key pillars of national protection. He also praised the country’s security institutions for their vigilance and efforts to safeguard Algeria’s security and unity, while renewing his confidence in the People’s National Army, describing it as the “army of the nation” and emphasizing its role in defending the country and preserving its sovereignty.
Turning to the period following the summer university, the party leader called for a transition from training to fieldwork by taking up citizens’ concerns, going out into the field and maintaining close contact with them. He urged the movement to work to address their aspirations while taking into account the state’s capabilities and the need for realistic demands.
Bengrina also stressed the need to strengthen vigilance to understand and address the various economic, political, social and intellectual challenges facing the country and the nation. He called for confronting these challenges with renewed thinking, firm determination, conscious resolve and appropriate programs, away from emotions, whims, score-settling and narrow-minded perspectives.
In this regard, he called for building broad alliances with genuine patriots and launching meaningful initiatives at the local level, beginning with efforts to remove harmful ideas and address cultural and educational shortcomings.
He also stressed the need to prepare for the upcoming local elections, describing them as the true test of the movement’s organizational and political work and an opportunity to serve citizens and address their concerns at the grassroots level. He called for giving qualified individuals greater opportunities, establishing clear plans and working in a team spirit in preparation for the municipal and wilaya elections.
