Once again, a story about a country one likely doesn't think about very much.
From The AP, via our friends at FOXNews
Mauritania is another of those Arabian-African nations where the general Western reaction to any events there is "Where?", but a little more attention is in order.
Key Points:
Mauritania has, since 2006, been the focus of new-found oil developments.
Mauritania is also the western edge of the Magreb, which has become a focus for al-Qaeda activity in North Africa. AQIM is the former Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat which has made life miserable in a wide swath of North Africa from their origin point in Algeria.
The Military of Mauritania is supposed to be a contributory force to Operation Enduring Freedom - Trans Sahara and is in part funded by the U.S. Government's Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative.
...your tax dollars at work.
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4 comments:
President Abdallahi has ties to Al-Qaida-- built a mosque and he sounds like he is a strong muslim--
another place gone wrong- again!
Mauritania sure has had its share of coups!!!
Doesn't sound like there is much oil being produced-
re: oil being produced
new discovery, circa 2006. still mostly under development.
From correspondents in Nouakchott
August 07, 2008 01:16pm
Article from: Agence France-PresseFont size: + -
THE junta that took over Mauritania in a military coup has promised "free and transparent" presidential elections in "the shortest possible period" in a statement read on national radio today.
The 11-member High State Council of armed and security forces led by former head of the presidential guard General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz had on Wednesday "ended the power of the president of the republic, invested on April 19 2007," the statement said.
"It will take the necessary measures to guarantee the continuity of the state and to get together with institutions, political forces and civil society to supervise the holding of presidential elections enabling the relaunch of the democratic process in the country and to reshape it on a perennial basis."
The junta's statement promised: "These elections, which will be held in the shortest possible period, will be free and transparent and will bring for the future a continued and harmonious functioning of all the constitutional powers."
Well, I guess when you don't like something, just overthrow the gov't and start all over!
today--August 9th-
The African Union says it will suspend Mauritania's membership until democracy is restored in the West African country.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-08-09-voa10.cfm
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