Terror threat Aug 27, 2008
By James Copnall BBC News, Nouakchott ... Then three Mauritanian soldiers were killed, and later the police and alleged members of al-Qaeda exchanged gunfire in the capital Nouakchott ... There was also an attack on the Israeli embassy - or on one of Nouakchott's few nightclubs next door, depending on who you believe. (BBC News -- Africa)
West Africa Falling Into the Sea Aug 26, 2008
Other major urban centres in West Africa which experts have identified as at risk of flooding are Banjul in The Gambia, Bissau in Guinea Bissau, and Nouakchott in Mauritania. All three capitals are at or close to sea level. (allAfrica.com)
Ousted Mauritania PM re-arrested Aug 22, 2008
By James Copnall BBC News, Nouakchott ... Mr El-Waqef was taken away by a police inspector in a car which headed towards the capital Nouakchott, according to his supporters. (BBC News -- Africa)
Opinion: Democracy's misfire in Mauritania Aug 20, 2008
This was how I found myself in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott. Working for an NGO (for safety reasons, I can't name it) that specializes in global democracy promotion, I helped manage an international mission to monitor the presidential elections. (Christian Science Monitor)
Mauritania's junta appoints prime minister Aug 19, 2008
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AP) -- The military junta that led last week's coup in Mauritania has appointed a former ambassador to the post of prime minister. The junta issued a decree Thursday announcing that Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf is the country's new prime minister as well as head of the transitional government. (CNN -- World)
Mauritania coup chief holds rally Aug 19, 2008
By James Copnall BBC News, Nouakchott. The general has not committed to a date for new elections. (BBC News -- Africa)
"Mauritanians are experiencing a deep malaise" Aug 18, 2008
Sow, professor of philosophy and anthropology at Nouakchott University in Mauritania, travelled to Geneva on Friday to give a series of human rights lectures at the Henry Dunant University College ... Mauritania gained independence in 1960, with Nouakchott as its capital ... In February 2008, AQM attacked the Israeli Embassy in Nouakchott. (SwissInfo.org, Switzerland)
Compensation deal for bombing victims Aug 15, 2008
Nouakchott The new junta in the northwest African state of Mauritania announced a former ambassador to Belgium and the EU as Prime Minister. Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf was named in a decree published by state media. (Times Online)
Politicians back Mauritania coup Aug 15, 2008
On Wednesday, dozens of women were reportedly dispersed by teargas as they protested against the country's new military rulers in Nouakchott. But the show of support by the parliamentarians will go some way to boosting the credibility of the coup leader, General Abdelaziz, says the BBC's James Copnall in the capital, Nouakchott. (BBC News -- Africa)
Majority of Mauritania parliament is pro-coup Aug 14, 2008
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania - More than two-thirds of Mauritanian lawmakers endorsed last week's army-led coup, urging world governments Wednesday to recognize the ruling junta as the legitimate government. The parliamentarians signed a declaration backing the ouster of the desert nation's democratically elected president, contrasting sharply with the international community's condemnation of last week's takeover. (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, IL)
Mauritania: Coup leaders name ex-ambassador as PM Aug 14, 2008
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AP) The military junta that led last week's coup has appointed a former ambassador as prime minister, according to a decree issue by the generals on Thursday. The decree announces that Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf is the country's new prime minister, as well as head of the transitional government. (USA Today -- News)
Al-Qaeda 'warning' for Mauritania Aug 14, 2008
It also blamed the group for attacking the Israeli embassy in the capital, Nouakchott, in February ... The BBC's James Copnall in Nouakchott says Mauritania is extremely poor, and its young people are increasingly radicalised. (BBC News -- Africa)
Top UN envoy urges immediate return to constitutional rule in ... Aug 13, 2008
The Mauritanian military staged a coup last Wednesday in the capital of Nouakchott, arresting the president and Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf. Editor: Yao. (Xinhua)
Freed PM opposes Mauritania coup Aug 13, 2008
Another demonstration was held on the other side of the capital, Nouakchott, in favour of the military takeover ... The freed officials addressed hundreds of supporters at Nouakchott's football stadium, who chanted the name of the deposed president ... Mr El-Waqef told the BBC's James Copnall in the capital, Nouakchott, that he had been held in "good conditions" and called on the coup leaders to "return to legality". (BBC News -- Africa)
Raid kills five tied to Al Qaeda Aug 12, 2008
mauritania Coup leaders free prime minister NOUAKCHOTT - Mauritania's prime minister was released yesterday as junta leaders bowed to international pressure after a coup that prompted the United States to cut off more than $20 million in aid. But the junta was still holding the president and said it had no immediate plans to release him. (Boston Globe)
France to suspend aid to Mauritania after coup Aug 12, 2008
Waghef and R'zeizim were both released on Monday, but Abdallahi remained in custody, Boydiel Ould Houmaid, vice-president of their IDIL party, told Reuters in Nouakchott. news is provided by. (AlertNet)
Mauritania's toppled PM released Aug 12, 2008
After their release, Mr El-Ouakef and the other officials attended a rally to celebrate their freedom at a football stadium in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott ... Gen Abdelaziz told the BBC's James Copnall in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, that he had been forced to act after the deposed president decided to sack the country's four most senior military officers. (BBC News -- Africa)
Mauritania: AU Right On Coup [editorial] Aug 11, 2008
The AU and the international community should work to make life even tougher for the generals in Nouakchott and force them to relinquish power and restore democracy sooner rather than latter. AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over , plus more than , who are responsible for their own reporting and views. (allAfrica.com)
AU suspends Mauritania over coup Aug 11, 2008
The United States has suspended non-humanitarian aid to Mauritania following the coup and on Saturday, Arab League emissary, Ben Hilli, travelled to Nouakchott where he met with Aziz to "get assurances about the democratic process in the country." ... Ben Hilli said AU, Arab League and UN officials would meet in Nouakchott to "help Mauritania emerge from the crisis." ... Meanwhile, an AU delegation has arrived in Nouakchott. (Guardian News, Nigeria)
Mauritania Coup Chief May Campaign Aug 11, 2008
NOUAKCHOTT, MAURITANIA (AP) The leader of Mauritania's military coup left open the possibility he could run for president, saying for the first time Sunday that junta members had not decided whether they would bar themselves from a promised ballot. Related Articles. (Time.com)
African Union will suspend Mauritania - AU chair Aug 10, 2008
com/) (Additional reporting by Inal Ersan in Dubai, Daniel Magnowski in Nouakchott, Writing by David Lewis, Editing by Mary Gabriel). news is provided by. (AlertNet)
In its stride Aug 9, 2008
By James Copnall BBC News, Nouakchott ... It is difficult to tell in Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott, that just over 48 hours ago the military seized power ... " A short way up a road bordered by sandy edges, a reminder that Nouakchott is cut out of the desert, was a huge banner. A commercial group was expressing its support, in flowing Arabic and French capital letters, for the military state council and its leader, Gen Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz. It took the company less than two days to seize... (BBC News)
Mauritania: Overview of Pressures Leading to Military Coup Aug 9, 2008
Mauritania's three million inhabitants are concentrated in the capital, Nouakchott, and in villages and nomadic tent communities scattered throughout the desert. Despite significant mineral deposits that form more than half of the country's exports, and recent small-scale oil operations, employed Mauritanians, on average, earned about two dollars a day in 2006, according to the World Bank. (allAfrica.com)
Mauritania coup hits Malian headlinesBamako, Mali (PANA) - Wednesday's military coup that toppledMauritania's elected government made headlines inMalian newspapers this week. 09/08/2008 Full Text... Aug 9, 2008
"It's true the new Nouakchott authorities have planned to organise soon free and fair elections," the paper adds. L'Indpendant notes that only ignorant people can be fooled by the coupists' declaration in principle because "power..can quickly and strongly intoxicate and we saw across the globe, more than a dictator linger on by relying on the passive complicity of the time and the people's amnesia". (Panapress.com)
US halts aid over Mauritania coup Aug 9, 2008
"The armed forces and the security forces will always stay with the people to deepen the democracy," he said in the capital, Nouakchott ... On Thursday, there were demonstrations for and against the coup in Nouakchott. (BBC News -- Africa)
US condemns coup, suspends aid Aug 8, 2008
Mauritania NOUAKCHOTT - Leaders of a military coup in Mauritania promised yesterday to hold a free and transparent presidential election as soon as possible, but the United States suspended aid and demanded an immediate return to civilian rule. Soldiers ousted the nation's first freely elected president, Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, on Wednesday after he tried to dismiss military chiefs widely seen to have turned against him. (Boston Globe)
Coup demonstrations in Mauritania Aug 8, 2008
Police in the capital, Nouakchott, broke up a protest by hundreds of people against the coup leader, General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz ... Supporters of the coup march through Nouakchott. (BBC News)
Mauritania Coup Chief Promises Free Elections 'Soon' Aug 8, 2008
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania The army general who successfully toppled Mauritania's government staged a show of force Thursday, leading several thousand supporters in a march through the capital ... Still, Nouakchott remained calm throughout the change and by Thursday, merchants were selling their wares, taxis and buses were crisscrossing the capital and government bureaucrats had reported for work ... Still, Wednesday's change of power was swiftly condemned by the United States, the European Union... (Fox News)
Mauritania:Reaction Sharply Divided On Military Coup Aug 8, 2008
The Minister of Decentralisation, Yahya Ould Kebd, spoke with IRIN from Nouakchott, from where he did not go to his office as usual on Thursday, but rather, gathered with other Abdallahi supporters before they were dispersed ... Rokhaya Hamou, 45 years old, and a nurse at the Cheikh Zayed Hospital in Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott, said she is relieved at the prospect of having someone new in power. (allAfrica.com)
Mauritania: Yar'Adua, African Union, U.S. Condemn Coup Aug 8, 2008
Also, France's Foreign Ministry has contacted the French Embassy officials in Nouakchott and are already taking steps to protect the citizens living there, spokesman Ramain Nadal said. Nigeria's President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua condemned in strong terms the military take-over of political power in Mauritania, saying both Nigeria and the African Union will not recognise the military coupists as leaders. (allAfrica.com)
Mauritanian coup leaders promise election soon Aug 8, 2008
Supporters carrying a poster of coup-leader and former presidential guard chief Muhammad Ould Abdel Aziz in Mauritania's capital Nouakchott on Thursday ... Hundreds of people took to the streets of Nouakchott, the capital, on Thursday in support of the presidential guard chief, Muhammad Ould Abdel Aziz, who launched the coup after Abdellahi fired him. (International Herald Tribune)
Free poll, says coup chief Aug 8, 2008
Around a thousand people marched through the capital Nouakchott in a show of support for coup leader General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz ... According to the Mauritanian news agency Agence Nouakchott d'Information (ANI), Abdel Aziz met other government ministers on Wednesday afternoon and asked them to stay on in their posts ... "Coup d'etat: how did we get back to the starting point?", asked the Le Quotidien de Nouakchott daily. (iAfrica.com)
'I fear for my father' Aug 8, 2008
One hour ago [1430 GMT] they - the military - decided to let my family and I return to our presidential home because we have to get ready to leave Nouakchott. My father is a popular man so I can't understand why this has happened. (BBC News -- Africa)
Coup ousts Mauritania's first democratic president Aug 7, 2008
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania - Soldiers overthrew Mauritania's first democratically elected president in a coup yesterday and announced a military junta was taking charge of the northwest African Islamic state. Soldiers seized President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi at his palace after he sacked senior army officers during a political crisis in the country, which is one of the continent's newest oil producers. (Boston Globe)
Army seizes power in Mauritania Aug 7, 2008
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania - Army officers upset with government overtures toward Islamic hard-liners staged a coup in Mauritania on Wednesday, overthrowing the first government to be freely elected in this sprawling desert nation in more than 20 years ... President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was being held by renegade soldiers at the presidential palace in Nouakchott, according to presidential spokesman Abdoulaye Mamadouba ... One of only three Arab League countries to have diplomatic relations... (MSNBC -- International)
Mauritanian army coup condemned Aug 7, 2008
The AU denounced the coup, demanded a return to constitutional government and said it was sending an envoy to the capital, Nouakchott, immediately ... Troops deployed on Nouakchott's streets fired tear gas to disperse about 50 protesters as the council annulled his previous decree dismissing the military chiefs. (BBC News)
Mauritania:Military Ousts President, Seizes Power Aug 7, 2008
Toure attended the event in Nouakchott. "The president had committed to organising a peace and reconciliation commission, which has long been one of our key demands. It is hard to see that commission coming apart even before it has had a chance to be created.". (allAfrica.com)
Mauritanian military stages coup Aug 7, 2008
The sacked commander of Mauritania's presidential guards has taken control of the presidential palace in Nouakchott, the capital ... "Huge crowds of Mauritanians are teeming the street of the capital Nouakchott," Hamdi Ould al Hacen, a freelance journalist working in Mauritania, told Al Jazeera ... Later witnesses reported police fired tear gas to disperse a group of at least 50 supporters of the president who had gathered in central Nouakchott. (Ghana Broadcasting Corporation)
MAURITANIA COUP Aug 7, 2008
NOUAKCHOTT, 7 August 2008 () - International leaders, heads of states and human rights lobbyists have condemned the military ouster of Mauritania's President Sidi Mohamed ould Cheikh Abdallahi, and Prime Minister Yahya ould Ahmed Waghf on 6 August, while analysts question how the latest political shake-up will affect a country that is reeling from rising food and living costs, as it reintegrates thousands of refugees ... Toure attended the event in Nouakchott. (AlertNet)
Mauritania coup chief leads march in capital Aug 7, 2008
Supporters carry a poster of coup-leader and former presidential guard chief Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz Aug, 7 in Mauritania's capital Nouakchott. NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AP) The army general who successfully toppled Mauritania's government has led several thousand supporters in a march through the capital in a show of force. (USA Today -- News)
Agencies: Mauritanian military stage coup in capital Aug 7, 2008
Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was pictured in Nouakchott in this file photo on March 8, 2007 ... DAKAR, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Mauritanian military staged a coup on Wednesday in the capital of Nouakchott, arresting President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi and Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf, reports from agencies reaching here said. (Xinhuanet, China)
The coup leaders in Mauritania said Thursday that elections will be held in the country as soon as possible, reports from agencies reaching Dakar said.• France asked to assist Portuguese in Mauritania Aug 7, 2008
The Mauritanian military Wednesday staged a coup in the capital city Nouakchott, arresting the president Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi and Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf. Forty-eight legislators of the ruling party resigned Monday in the middle of a severe political crisis in Mauritania. (Xinhuanet, China)
AU, Nigeria, others deplore Mauritanian coup Aug 7, 2008
While the AU said it was sending an envoy to the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, immediately, the commission threatened to suspend aid to the Islamic African State ... Troops were reportedly out on the streets of Nouakchott, where teargas was fired at about 50 protesters ... Nouakchott airport has been closed, security sources told Agence France Press (AFP). (Guardian News, Nigeria)
Mauritania generals promise free elections Aug 7, 2008
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AP) -- The military generals who staged a coup in this desert nation announced Thursday they plan to hold free and transparent elections "as soon as possible." ... Much like the nation's last coup in 2005, the change of power was swiftly condemned by the United States, the European Union and the African Union, which said it would send an envoy to Nouakchott this week. (Erie Times-News, PA)
Coup Under Way in Mauritania: President's Office Aug 7, 2008
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania Mauritania's presidential spokesman said Tuesday renegade army officers have staged a coup, detaining the desert nation's president after he fired the country's top four military officials. Spokesman Abdoulaye Mamadouba says President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi is being held at the presidential palace in Nouakchott. (Newsmax)
Mauritania forces stage coup after officers sacked Aug 6, 2008
State television and radio in Nouakchott had both ceased broadcasting earlier in the day. Abdallahi won elections last year and took over from a military junta that had ruled since it toppled President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya in a bloodless coup in 2005. (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
Abdallahi no longer Mauritania leader - TV statement Aug 6, 2008
NOUAKCHOTT (Reuters) - A "State Council" led by Mauritania's former presidential guard chief said on Wednesday President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was no longer president. "Statement No. 1" from the council, which was broadcast by Gulf-based al-Arabiya television, annulled what it described as the "former president's" previous decree sacking several top military officers. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
Mauritania's Leaders Detained In Coup Aug 6, 2008
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania, Aug. 6, 2008 ... President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was being held by soldiers at the presidential palace in Nouakchott, according to presidential spokesman Abdoulaye Mamadouba ... Spokesman Romain Nadal said France's Foreign Ministry was in contact with French embassy officials in Nouakchott and that measures have been taken to protect the safety of French citizens living there. (CBS News -- Evening News)
Fast Facts: Mauritania Aug 6, 2008
The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986. In the past, drought and economic mismanagement resulted in a buildup of foreign debt, which now stands at more than three times the level of annual exports. (CBS News -- World)
Press Release: Statement by IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn at the Conclusion of his Visit to Mauritania Aug 5, 2008
Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), issued the following statement on August 1, 2008 in Nouakchott at the conclusion of his visit to Mauritania. "It has been a great pleasure to visit Mauritania. I wish to thank the President, Mr. Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi for the warm hospitality extended by the Mauritanian government to participants in the seminar for African Governors of the IMF and the World Bank. "The discussions with the African... (IMF News)
Weather: Partly cloudy, afternoon storms likely Jul 30, 2008
Melbourne, FL 32940 Last Updated: 07/30/08 08:45:41 EDT. C) Relative Humidity: 97% Barometer: 30. (Florida Today)
Transcript of a Press Briefing by David Hawley, Senior Advisor, External Relations Department, IMF Jul 25, 2008
In Nouakchott, Mauritania, he will participate in a meeting of African governors, i.e. finance ministers and central bank governors of the IMF and World Bank. That is going to focus on infrastructure needs in the region but will also look inevitably at the food and fuel price surge. (IMF News)
Mauritania: Returnees Run Into Hurdles Jul 22, 2008
"We still have not recovered our land or our property that was stolen in 1989," said a woman who was repatriated to Boynguel Thil;, near Bogh;, 225km southeast of Nouakchott. The returnees have either been resettled on new land near their old villages or have been asked to make land claims to try to resettle on their former properties by negotiating with the current owners, according to Sidi Sow, prefect of Rosso in southern Mauritania and site of the first returnees in January 2008. (allAfrica.com)
AfDB Approves U.S. $ 8 Million Line of Credit for Mauritania's Trade and Industry Bank Jul 18, 2008
The BCI started operations in 1999 with the opening of its headquarters in Nouakchott and BCI has since expanded its operations to become one of the key players in the Mauritanian banking sector with 8 branches and a market share of about 15. The G;n;rale des Banques de Mauritanie (GBM) was the first Mauritanian financial institution to benefit from a LOC from the AfDB. The resource has been fully disbursed. (allAfrica.com)
Mauritania: Libel Charge Brought Against Publisher of Arabic-Language Weekly [press release] Jun 17, 2008
Mohamed Nema Oumar, the publisher of the privately-owned, Arabic-language weekly Al-Houriya, was released on the evening of 13 June after being held for 30 hours in a police station in the Nouakchott district of Tevragh Zeina. He was charged two days later with "libel and insult" and was ordered to report to the police twice a week pending trial, Nouakchott bar president Ahmed Ould Youssouf said ... Oumar was arrested as he left the VIP lounge at Nouakchott international airport after... (allAfrica.com)
Africa:No Room For Error in Soccer Qualifiers Jun 14, 2008
And in Nouakchott, the question is whether Mauritania playing a home match against Ethiopia will recover after the sacking of coach Alain Moizan. Nigeria, without John Obi Mikel, will try to reach a total of nine points overall when they play in Malabo, where Equatorial Guinea, playing at home, is determined to stand up to the Super Eagles. (allAfrica.com)
Roundup for Saturday Jun 8, 2008
Tarik Sektioui blasted home an early free-kick to give Morocco the lead in Nouakchott before Hibernian midfielder Abdessalam Benjelloun added a second in the 37th minute. Two more goals in the second half from Youssef Safri and Houssine Kharja ensured an easy triumph with Mauritania reducing the margin through a late penalty from Dominique da Silva. (International Herald Tribune -- Sports)
Adf Approves Us$ 15 Million Supplementary Loan to Fund Nouakchott Water Supply Project May 30, 2008
46 million Units of Account* (US$ 15 million) to finance the provision of safe drinking water from the Senegal River (Aftout Essaheli) to Nouakchott, capital of Mauritania ... The project aims at ensuring the availability of drinking water in the city of Nouakchott over the next 30 years by improving access to drinking water, thereby enhancing the living conditions of the people in the area ... The supply of drinking water to Nouakchott from River Senegal will also make it possible to cater to... (allAfrica.com)
Public Information Notice: IMF Executive Board Concludes 2008 Article IV Consultation with Mauritania May 30, 2008
VAT and custom duties exemptions were eliminated on a list of essential goods; a centralized taxpayer database covering the main cities, Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, was introduced in December. Transparency in the oil sector was further enhanced by the finalization of the audit of the 2006 financial statements of the national hydrocarbon company (SMH) and the publication of oil production sharing contracts. (IMF News)
2010 World Cup Qualifying May 29, 2008
At Nouakchott, Mauritania ... At Nouakchott, Mauritania. (MSNBC -- Sports)
Massive Attack May 18, 2008
I had no idea where Mauritania was and as for the capital, Nouakchott. Robert: 'Mauritania' doesn't even sound African. (Guardian Unlimited)
Mauritania: Justice Not Working for Rape Victims May 14, 2008
While the number of reported rapes in the capital Nouakchott has tripled from 25 to 75 in the past year, according to Ahmed Seyfer head of child protection for UNICEF, next to none of the perpetrators were punished. Stronger legal texts. (allAfrica.com)
Sowing the seeds of a food crisis May 2, 2008
Aid agencies fear the rising cost of food may trigger a wave of starvation across Africa, writes Anthony Faiola in Nouakchott, Mauritania ... In a nation girdled by the encroaching Sahara, the slums of Nouakchott, the capital, swell with former tillers of soil who have abandoned hard lives growing subsistence crops amid years of drought. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Pilot fools hijacker with help from passengers (1) Apr 21, 2008
A lone gunman brandishing two pistols hijacked the Air Mauritania Boeing 737, carrying 71 passengers and a crew of eight, Thursday evening shortly after it took off from the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott for Gran Canaria, one of Spain's Canary Islands, with a planned stopover in Nouadhibou in northern Mauritania ... Both spoke after returning to Nouakchott. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
Murder suspect held in Mauritania Apr 11, 2008
Fellow suspect Sidi Ould Sidna escaped from police in the capital, Nouakchott, as he was due to go on trial last week ... "He had been trailed by the police for several days and is currently being questioned in Nouakchott's central police station.". (BBC News -- Europe)
