Military coup in Mauritania

Troops in Mauritania overthrew the government on 6 August 2008, arresting the elected president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. President Abdallahi came to power in free and fair polls last year, taking over from a military junta. International media report that troops are out on the streets of the capital, Nouakchott, where tear gas was fired at about 50 protesters.

Earlier in the day, the president tried to dismiss four senior army officers, who responded by launching the coup. Mauritania has been in the grip of a political crisis since a vote of no confidence in the cabinet in mid-July.

Internet resources on Mauritania

Economist Intelligence Unit:
http://www.eiu.com/index.asp?layout=country&geography_id=340000034 (Restricted access)

Nordiska Afrikainstitutets biblioteks länksamling:
http://www.nai.uu.se/library/resources/guidetoafrica/regions/

African Studies Center:
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Country_Specific/Mauritania.html

Africa south of the Sahara:
http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/mauritan.html

DMOZ Open Directory:
http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/Africa/Mauritania/

BBC Africa:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/news/mauritania?page=7&dir=fd&news=61&news_av=1

Keywords

Democracy, Elections, Islam, Militarism, Military government, Political crisis, Political development, Political power, Politics