The
2003 Mauritanian coup d'etat attempt
was a violent
military
coup
attempt in
Mauritania
which took place on 8?9 June 2003.
[1]
The coup attempt, led by Major
Saleh Ould Hanenna
who commanded a rebel section of the Army, resulted in two days of
heavy fighting
in the capital
Nouakchott
, before rebel soldiers were defeated by troops loyal to the President, Colonel
Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya
.
[2]
Taya subsequently won the
7 November 2003 presidential election
with over 67% of the vote,
[3]
amid opposition claims of
electoral fraud
; the second place candidate and former head of state (
CMSN
chairman), Colonel
Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla
, was arrested both immediately before and after the election, and was accused of plotting a coup.
[4]
Hanenna initially escaped capture, and announced the formation of a rebel group called the Knights of Change, but was eventually captured in late 2004
[5]
and sentenced to
life imprisonment
(instead of recommended
death sentence
) along with other alleged plotters in early 2005.
[6]
Following the
2005 coup d'etat
, which deposed Taya, Hannena was released in an
amnesty
declared by the new
military junta
, the
Military Council for Justice and Democracy
(CMJD).
[7]
References
edit
- ^
"Mauritania 'foils' coup attempt"
, BBC News, June 9, 2003.
- ^
"Ould Taya survives coup attempt"
, IRIN, June 9, 2003.
- ^
Elections in Mauritania
, African Elections Database.
- ^
"Top Mauritanian politician held"
, BBC News, November 9, 2003.
- ^
"Government arrests mastermind behind coup plots"
, IRIN, October 12, 2004.
- ^
"Coup plotters get life in prison but escape death sentence"
, IRIN, February 3, 2005.
- ^
"MAURITANIA: Junta declares general amnesty for political prisoners"
, IRIN, September 5, 2005.