A group of senior military officers in Mauritania arrested the country's president and prime minister on Wednesday in a bloodless coup against the first freely elected government there in more than 20 years.
Military leaders seize power in bloodless coup in Mauritania
It came after the president fired the leaders, apparently for disagreeing with his efforts to reach out to militants.
August 6, 2008 at 11:02PM
Coups punctuate the tumultuous history of Mauritania, a vast, parched nation at the western edge of the Sahara that straddles largely Arab North Africa and black West Africa and is a key Western ally in the fight against terrorism.
Since it won its independence from France in 1960, there have been about a dozen attempts to overthrow sitting governments, many of them successful.
In the most recent ouster, soldiers swarmed the presidential palace and the military's top four leaders seized power after the president, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, fired them, reportedly for supporting lawmakers who had accused him of corruption and disagreed with his reaching out to Islamic militants, said officials in Nouakchott, the capital.
Several of the military leaders had been instrumental in a 2005 coup that led indirectly to Abdallahi's election. But in recent months his government has been mired in infighting.
The four military officers, calling themselves the National Council, named as their leader Gen. Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, formerly the head of the elite presidential guard.
Hundreds of people swarmed the palace as news of the putsch spread, but police officers dispersed the crowd and ordered businesses to close. There were no reports of violence.
Mauritania is an Islamic Republic that recognizes Israel, making it an unusual bridge between Muslim countries and the West. It sits along the edge of the Sahara, a region where officials suspect Al-Qaida is organizing and carrying out attacks.
NEW YORK TIMES
about the writer
In interviews with the Star Tribune, Ryan described life before and after the Russian invasion in the country, where she’s worked to secure the border and help refugees flee war-torn areas.
