Mauri Coup

[Richard Washington]

Reports of a coup in Mauritania are starting to come in.
'Coup' in Mauritania: Africa: News: News24

PM and Pres are apparently in the hands of the military and state radio and TV shutdown.

[airamerica]

Not to much information still now!
BBC NEWS | Africa | Troops stage coup in Mauritania

[Richard Washington]

meant to add that last time a coup happened in Mauri, overlanders who were there at the time reported little disturbance and little evidence that anything had happened apart from a greater military visibility.

[TT-Kira]

What's the situation? It's been reported that there's been a coup ....

Fingers crossed it's not too crazy!

Kira

[pawperso]

I just read about this on the BBC and it appears that it's been completely peaceful so far.

Really hope it stays that way and there aren't any problems. I'm in the middle of planning a trip there at the moment!

BBC NEWS | Africa | Troops stage coup in Mauritania

[roamingyak]

From Reuters:

Presidential guardsmen seized Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi in a coup today after he sacked several top army officers, the president's daughter said.

Soldiers gathered at the presidential palace after Abdallahi replaced senior army officers during a political crisis in the northwest African country that is one of the continent's newest oil producers. 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.

"The security agents of the BASEP (Presidential Security Battalion) came to our home around 9.20 (0920 GMT) and took away my father," Amal Mint Cheikh Abdallahi, the president's daughter, told Reuters.

A presidency official who declined to be named said the president, prime minister and interior minister had been arrested and taken to an unknown destination.

In a decree published earlier today by the national news agency, Abdallahi sacked army chief of staff General Mohamed Ould Cheikh Mohamed Ahmed Ghazouani and presidential guard chief Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz.

A security source in the capital Nouakchott told Reuters Abdelaziz was leading the coup. Gulf-based Arabic television news channel al-Arabiya reported that both he and Ghazouani were involved.

The head of the Gendarmerie paramilitary police force was also replaced in the decree. Shortly afterwards state radio and television stations went off the air.

Largely desert Mauritania, a former French colony of more than 3 million people, straddles black and Arab Africa.

Abdallahi replaced one government in May following criticism over the government's response to soaring food prices and to attacks over the last year carried out by al-Qa'ida's north African arm.

But the new government resigned last month in the face of a proposed no-confidence vote.

A new one was formed but without the opposition Union of Forces for Progress (UFP) and Islamist Tawassoul parties which had formed part of the previous government.

This week most of the members of parliament belonging to Abdallahi's PNDD-ADIL party walked out from the party en masse, in a move some political sources said were supported by senior military officials.

[Sophie-Bart]

Things change fast, these newsites have a constant news stream

in english
Mauritania | Africa - Reuters.com

en francais / arabic
Mauritanie-web : toute l'actualité de la Mauritanie sur le net

Seems to settle down quickly, the new-persons-in-charge second declaration looks promising, with elections within six months.

BTW : Actually it are RSS-feeds (newsgrabbers) but both have an index-page/web-adress we can understand. The Reuters pages can be set to any country of interest (in africa) to follow latest news.

Hope people are able to stay reasonable.

[manfredschweda]

Anyone there in Nouakchott? Did anyone get through from Morocco to Mali recently?
Merci, Manfred

[Richard K]

Originally Posted by manfredschweda

Anyone there in Nouakchott? Did anyone get through from Morocco to Mali recently?
Merci, Manfred

I'm in sunny Manchester, but the message I have from Nouakchott is that things are calm. I don't know what is happening at the borders.

To opinionate a little, it sounds like the army marching in to fill the vacuum created by an imploding government. There has always been something of a junta behind the scenes, even after the 05 elections, and General Aziz has done this before. He is not unpopular and there is plenty of motivation to maintain a steady ship.

[manfredschweda]

I am not too worried, been there and through many times. Though seen things at the border changing many times as well. All info appreciated. It's sunny in Southern France as well. Rgds

[leosletters]

Anyone know what the visa situation is...

I am in morocco and plan to go to mauritania soon but it seems that the airport is closed! any info on the border between morocco and mauritania...

Cheers

Leo

[Chris Scott]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7558015.stm

Ch

[Zoltar14]

I know that on the 23rd of July I had problems getting a tourist transit visa in Rosso, coming from Senegal. They wanted me to go back to Dakar to get my visa at the Mauri embassy. A few weeks earlier they still issued visa at the border. Shouting helped, I got through anyway, but others got sent back.

[craigcc]

That's Rosso for you ...

Craig

Originally Posted by Zoltar14

I know that on the 23rd of July I had problems getting a tourist transit visa in Rosso, coming from Senegal. They wanted me to go back to Dakar to get my visa at the Mauri embassy. A few weeks earlier they still issued visa at the border. Shouting helped, I got through anyway, but others got sent back.

[steve.lorimer]

Is there anything to talk about regarding the coup? International media has gone quiet. Is it business as usual?

Was the Al-Queda threat hollow?

What about getting visas at the Morocco/Mauri border? Is that still possible?

Thanks
Steve