Military junta takes control after coup in Mauritania
Published Date:
07 August 2008
RENEGADE soldiers have overthrown Mauritania's first democratically elected president in a bloodless coup and announced that a military junta is taking charge of the north-west African Islamic state.
Soldiers seized the president, Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, at his palace after he sacked senior army officers during a political crisis in the country.
A "state council" led by one of the sacked officers, Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, said that Mr Abdallahi – who last year won Mauritania's first free, fair elections since independence in 1960 – was now a "former president" and annulled his previous decree sacking Abdelaziz and the heads of the army and gendarmerie. Police fired tear gas at about 50 supporters of Abdallahi outside the palace and closed the airport.
The African Union, European Union, United States and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference condemned the coup. Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary-general, called for the immediate restoration of order in Mauritania.
Amal Mint Cheikh Abdallahi said the presidential guard came to the palace residence and took away her father at 9:20am.
She said: "We are forbidden to leave. There are guards posted in the kitchen, the bedrooms, even the showers. The phones have been cut."
The full article contains 208 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
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Last Updated:
06 August 2008 9:58 PM
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Source:
The Scotsman
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Location:
Edinburgh
