2008 Mauritanian coup d'état

The 2008 Mauritanian coup d'état was a military coup that took place in Mauritania on August 6, 2008, when President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was ousted from power by the Armed Forces of Mauritania, led by a group of high-ranking generals he had dismissed from office earlier that day.

Background

General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was one of the leading figures in the August 2005 coup that ended Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya's 21 years in power. Aziz backed Abdallahi's candidacy in the subsequent March 2007 presidential election, which Abdallahi won. Abdallahi soon angered General Aziz and his supporters, however, by reaching out to Islamic hardliners, by freeing several suspected terrorists, and by using state funds to build a mosque on the grounds of the presidential palace.

In May 2008, Abdallahi appointed 12 ministers who had been part of President Taya's former government, some of whom had been accused of corruption. This, together with the inclusion of members of opposition parties in the government (headed by Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed El Waghef) and the government's failure to present a programme, led many members of the pro-Abdallahi National Pact for Democracy and Development (PNDD-ADIL) party in the National Assembly to file a censure motion against the government on June 30, 2008. The government resigned on July 2 before a no-confidence vote was held, and Abdallahi immediately reappointed Waghef to form a new government. The government that was announced on July 15 included no members of the opposition; it also excluded the former associates of Taya whose presence in the previous government had attracted criticism.

On August 4, 2008, 25 of the 49 PNDD-ADIL deputies in the National Assembly, along with 24 of the party's 45 senators, announced that they were leaving the party, thereby depriving it of its parliamentary majority.

The immediate catalyst for the coup was Abdallahi's announcement on the morning of August 6 that he was firing several generals, including Aziz (who had been the head of the presidential guard) and army chief of staff General Mohamed Ould Sheikh Mohamed. Mauritania has experienced more than 10 coups or attempted coups since achieving its independence from France in 1960.

Details of the coup

Early in the morning of August 6, Abdallahi announced that he was firing several senior army officers, and at 9:20 a.m. he was seized from his home by members of the Presidential Security Battalion (BASEP for Bataillon de la sécurité présidentielle) in a military coup. Presidential spokesman Abdoulaye Mamadou Ba said in a statement that President Abdallahi, Prime Minister Waghef, and Interior Minister Mohamed Ould R'zeizim had been arrested by renegade senior army officers, unknown troops, and a group of generals, and were being held under house arrest at the Presidential Palace in Nouakchott. Of the apparently successful and bloodless ''coup d'état'', Abdallahi's daughter, Amal Mint Cheikh Abdallahi said: "The security agents of the BASEP came to our home and took away my father."

The coup plotters were recently fired senior officers in the security forces, including General Abdel Aziz, General Muhammad Ould Al-Ghazwani, General Philippe Swikri, and Brigadier General (Aqid) Ahmad Ould Bakri. State television reported that the country was now being led by a new military State Council, which would be run by Abdel Aziz. The State Council said that Abdallahi was now the "former president."

General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz issued a statement on the al-Arabiya international television station and issued what he called, "communiqué No. 1" which reversed the "former president's" firing of the military officers. Al-Aziz was also reportedly holding talks with the president of the Mauritanian National Assembly, Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, on the feasibility of holding potential new elections in two months.

Police reportedly fired tear gas at about 50 people who had gathered near the main market of Nouakchott. Otherwise, the city remained calm.

All state television and radio stations in Nouakchott reportedly ceased broadcasting as the coup began. The Nouakchott International Airport was also closed.

Aftermath of the coup

August

According to an official statement released on August 7, Abdallahi's powers were terminated and Mauritania would be governed on a transitional basis by an 11-member High Council of State, with Abdel Aziz as the President of the council, until a new presidential election was held "in the shortest possible period". The Council promised that this election would be "free and transparent" and that it would consult with the national institutions, the political class, and civil society. Furthermore, the Council gave an assurance that it would "respect all treaties, international agreements and conventions to which Mauritania has subscribed". The members of the council were listed as:"Le Haut Conseil d'Etat rend public un nouveau communiqué"
AMI, August 7, 2008 .
* General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (President of the council)
* General Mohamed ould Cheikh Mohamed Ahmed
* General Felix Negré
* Colonel Ahmed Ould Bekrine
* Colonel Mohamed ould Cheikh Ould El Hadi
* Colonel Ghoulam ould Mahmoud
* Colonel Mohamed Ould Meguet
* Colonel Mohamed ould Mohamed Znagui
* Colonel Dia Adama Oumar
* Colonel Hanena Ould Sidi
* Colonel Ahmedou Bemba Ould Baye

A demonstration in support of the coup was held in Nouakchott on August 7. About 1,000 people participated in this demonstration, chanting Abdel Aziz's name and marching towards the presidential palace, accompanied by vehicles carrying large portraits of Abdel Aziz. At the presidential palace, Abdel Aziz spoke to the demonstrators, saying that he would "work to solve all the problems this country is confronted with". A protest against the coup was also held later on the same day in Nouakchott. According to PNDD-ADIL Secretary-General Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Dahmane, this was a peaceful protest in which 200 to 300 people participated, carrying portraits of Abdallahi, and was broken up by police with tear gas. Dahmane also called for Abdallahi's release, saying that he was the legitimate president, and said that the PNDD-ADIL had formed an alliance with three other parties in opposition to the coup: the Popular Progressive Alliance (APP), the Union of the Forces of Progress (UFP), and an Islamic party."Mauritanian parliament opens special session"
, AFP, August 20, 2008.

The High Council of State released a second statement on August 7, saying that the junta wanted to preserve the constitution and democratic institutions, interfering with the functioning of those institutions as little as possible. According to this statement, the council would collectively exercise the powers of the presidency and a government would be appointed. The council also said that political parties and legal organizations would be allowed to operate freely, that freedoms, including the freedom of the press, would be respected, and that municipal councils could continue to function normally. Abdel Aziz also gave these assurances regarding freedoms and the continuity of democratic institutions, such as Parliament, in a meeting with Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Ahmed bin Heli.

The four-party alliance opposing the coup, called the National Front for the Defence of Democracy, held a press conference on August 8, and this developed into a protest rally against the coup in the Tevragh Zeina section of Nouakchott, with several hundred people participating. This rally included calls for the soldiers to return to their barracks and for the international community to pressure the junta. APP spokesman Alkhalil Ould Teyib vowed that they would continue their struggle until Abdallahi was restored to the presidency. The National Front for the Defence of Democracy also announced plans for more demonstrations and activities opposing the coup, while also stating that they would only hold protests with the junta's permission."Hundreds attend anti-coup rally in Mauritania"
, AFP, August 8, 2008.

Also on August 8, Abdallahi's daughter, Amal Mint Cheikh Abdallahi, said that she had not been informed of Abdallahi's whereabouts, and she expressed concern for Abdallahi's "health and safety". Meanwhile, Abdel Aziz said in an interview with '' Jeune Afrique'' that the military had been forced to take power by serious economic and political problems. He accused Abdallahi of attempting a "coup against democracy" through his actions; according to Abdel Aziz, Abdallahi had set members of parliament against one another and his dismissal of the senior officers immediately prior to the coup was intended to "divide the army". Abdel Aziz also said that Abdallahi was being held at the Palace of the Congress, was "in good conditions", had not complained, and would be released in a matter of days or weeks. According to Abdel Aziz, Abdallahi would probably not be required to leave Mauritania and would probably still be allowed to participate in politics. However, Abdel Aziz was quoted in an interview with ''Asharq al-Awsat'' published on August 9 as saying Abdallahi would not be released for "the time being", citing "security reasons"; he said that the junta was trying to establish an atmosphere of calm.

In an interview with Agence France-Presse on August 10, Abdel Aziz said that the coup was necessary to prevent "a catastrophe"; he said that Abdallahi had "acted irrationally", and in another interview with Al Jazeera he said that he had warned Abdallahi immediately prior to the coup that his decision to dismiss the senior officers could have serious consequences."Mauritanian general defends coup despite international pressure"
, AFP, August 10, 2008. According to Abdel Aziz, Abdallahi did not heed the warning, and as a result Abdel Aziz ordered the coup. Abdel Aziz also criticized Abdallahi for releasing Islamic extremists from prison and allowing the Islamist Tawassoul party to join Waghef's government in May; he asserted that this was "irresponsible" and did not reflect Mauritania's identity as a "moderate Muslim country"."Mauritania coup chief won't rule out election run"
Associated Press (''International Herald Tribune''), August 10, 2008. Furthermore, he expressed his view that the international community would change its negative attitude toward the coup "when it has all the information".

Also on August 10, Abdel Aziz did not exclude the possibility that he or other members of the junta could run for president, although he said that the issue had not been decided and that other things needed to be dealt with first. His acknowledgement of the possibility was in contrast to the decision of the previous junta in 2005 to exclude its members from running for office.

Messoud Ould Boulkheir, the President of the National Assembly, said on August 10 that he still recognized Abdallahi as president and rejected the idea of a new election held under the junta. However, 67 of the 95 deputies in the National Assembly released a statement supporting the coup and describing it as "the logical and indisputable result of President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi's behaviour to stall the republic's institutions". Meanwhile, Abdallahi's daughter said that the military had been involving itself in politics for two and a half months, and the PNDD-ADIL announced on August 10 that the junta had allowed it to reopen its offices.

Waghef and three other high-ranking officials (including the Interior Minister) were released by the military on August 11, while Abdallahi remained in custody."Mauritania coup leaders free prime minister"
Associated Press (''International Herald Tribune''), August 11, 2008. A few hours later, Waghef spoke before a rally of thousands of people and expressed defiance toward the junta, saying that Mauritanians did not accept its rule and urging the people to continue struggling to restore Abdallahi to power. He said that Abdallahi thanked them for their "untiring fight ... to restore constitutional order".

Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Ahmed bin Heli said on August 11, after returning from Mauritania, that he had asked to meet with Abdallahi but was not allowed to do so. In a statement on August 12, the High Council of State outlined its powers, confirming that it would have "the necessary powers to reorganise and manage state affairs during the period needed for the organising of presidential elections ... in the shortest possible time." It also confirmed that the council would collectively exercise presidential powers and that the council's president would be able to appoint a Prime Minister.

The Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD), which was the main opposition party under Abdallahi, supported the coup; its leader, Ahmed Ould Daddah (who was defeated by Abdallahi in the 2007 presidential election), told Al Jazeera on August 12 that the coup was "a movement to rectify the democratic process". Abdel Aziz met with political parties to discuss the formation of a new government. The APP said that it would not participate in this government, but the RFD said that it intended to "study the offer". 106 of the 151 members of both houses of Parliament"Mauritanian junta names new PM"
, AFP, August 14, 2008.
AMI, August 13, 2008. (67 out of 95 deputies and 39 out of 56 senators) said in a statement on August 13 that they supported the coup. According to this statement, the coup occurred "in the context of an acute political and institutional crisis" and Abdallahi "only listened to sycophants". The statement also urged international support. Aside from the members of Parliament, 191 out of 216 mayors also supported the coup."Mauritania deputies consider trial for ousted president"
, AFP, August 15, 2008.

Abdel Aziz appointed Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf