Mauritanian President Abdellahi ousted in military coup

06/08/2008

A military coup led by General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz has ousted Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi from power and created a Council of State to govern the country. Mauritanians are divided over the move, while the international community condemned the overthrow of democracy.

Mohamed Ould Khayar, Mohamed Yahya Ould Abdel Wedoud and Mohamed Ould Khattat contributed to this report for Magharebia – 06/08/08

[Mohamed Ould Khattat] Soldiers were positioned throughout Nouakchott on Wednesday following a military coup to oust President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi.

Mauritanians awoke Wednesday morning (August 6th) to a radio broadcast announcing a presidential decree dismissing the chiefs of staff of the army, the Presidential Guard, the National Guard and the Gendarmerie.

An hour later, acting on orders from General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, the head of the Presidential Guard, a group of soldiers arrived at the presidential headquarters and took away President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi.

"There are armed guards outside our lounge and kitchen," the president's daughter Amal Mint Cheikh Abdellahi told Radio France Internationale.

Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf was also seized.

"The military suddenly turned against the President and took things into their own hands," said presidential spokesman Ahmed Ba.

No gunshots or violence were reported during the operation, which was carried out under the leadership of General Abdelaziz and Generals Mohamed Ould Ghazouani and Félix Négri. Radio and television broadcasts were briefly shut down. When service was restored, the military broadcast a looped recording of "Communiqué Number One", which described President Abdellahi's dismissal of the military officials as "null and void" and announced the creation of a Council of State to rule the country.

The coup follows months of conflict between Parliament and the president, culminating on Monday in the mass resignation of a majority of MPs from the ruling National Pact for Democracy and Development (PNDD). Some political observers have called the MPs' walkout a "constitutional, democratic coup" expressing dissatisfaction with the president and his policies since coming to power one and a half years ago.

"The democratic coup in the country took place days before the military coup," political analyst Mohammed Yahzih Ould Bab Ahmed told Magharebia. "The President lost the parliamentary majority which was supporting his programme, and which introduced the vote of confidence against the previous government. It was about to do the same with the current government, although most of its ministers support Parliament. Therefore, the President had only two options: either disband Parliament or to fire the generals who were accused of supporting the MPs."

"Neither option was in his favour," said the analyst.

Mohammed Mukhtar Ould Zamil, a MP supporting the coup, accused President Abdellahi of "distancing himself from the consultation approach" by refusing to hold an emergency session on "reinforcing democracy".

"It was the National Army which brought democracy, and it is the Army which protects democracy today in light of the political deadlock which started some time ago," Ould Zamil said.

Mohamed Ould Maouloud, President of the Union of the Forces of Progress party, told reporters that "the military took with their left hand what they had given with their right hand." He considered the coup "a disaster for the Mauritanian people, who waited a long time for freedom and democracy."

Mohamed Ould Kerballi, a member of the national council of the majority Adil party told Magharebia: "The president has lost his authority to such an extent that he has turned his back on all his political supporters."

In the street, public opinion was divided on why the coup took place, and whether it was a positive development for Mauritania.

Many Mauritanians were not surprised by the military action.

Newsagent Melainine Ould Cheick said: "Since the president declared on Al Jazeera that he was being supported by the military during the presidential election, I don’t see how he can complain if... he recognises that they were the ones who worked his victory."

Nurse Aminata Bâ offered an additional bit of analysis.

"The deposed president sorted out the problem of the black Mauritanian refugees… He was even prepared to try the military officers implicated in the ethnic purges and punishments suffered by black Mauritanian military officers. Perhaps this is the reason behind him being deposed by the military."

Passer-by Said Ahmed supported the change.

"So far, the president hasn't been able to make any economic, social or political reforms," Ahmed told Magharebia. "The president tried to disrupt the work of Parliament more than once, and has actually threatened to disband it; something that would have brought Mauritania back to the pre-change era before August 3rd, 2005."

Communications specialist El Weli Ould Sidi Haiba agreed.

"The fact that [President Abdellahi] has been trying to prevent a senatorial inquiry concerning public money received by his wife's foundation has set a dangerous precedent. Similarly, the obstacles he has put in the way of a majority vote from MPs to set up a High Court of Justice with the power to judge him have been seen as a way of seizing power."

Mohamed Salem, a market trader in fabrics, denounced the putsch.

"I'm against coups; I’m ashamed that my country has been recognised by the international community as heading down the right road, but now it is being seen as a country where coups take place."

The African Union issued a statement condemning the coup and demanding "the restoration of constitutional legality".

The European Commission said it is "very concerned by the situation in Mauritania, which puts into question the remarkable democratic progress in this country".

US State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos called the Abdellahi government "a constitutional government, democratically elected, and we condemn the act".

The capital was calm throughout the day on Wednesday. Soldiers were positioned close to the presidential headquarters and around the radio and television stations, and the people of Nouakchott went about their daily business.

Public demonstrations in support of the coup are expected to be organised on Thursday.