Mauritania coup: President arrested
Wednesday, 06 Aug 2008 12:55
Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. Image published under Creative Commons License Attribution 2.5 Brazil (ABr/Casal Jr)
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The president of Mauritania has been arrested after two sacked army generals launched a coup d'etat against the government.
Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, who has led the west
African country since last year, is being held at his palace in the capital Nouakchott.
His prime minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf and other senior ministers are also understood to have been seized.
Mr Abdallahi's daughter told the Reuters news agency: "The security agents of the [presidential guard] came to our home around 09:20 local time (10:20 BST) and took away my father."
Earlier today the president, 68, announced the dismissal of the head of his security, General Mohammad al-Abdul Aziz, and the army chief of staff, General Mohammad al-Ghazwani.
Within hours though national television and radio stations had been taken off air and troops had stormed the presidential palace.
Mauritania, a country covered mainly in desert home to 3.1 million people, had been facing a mounting political crisis in recent weeks.
On Monday 48 MPs from the ruling part quit after a vote of no confidence in the government forced a cabinet reshuffle last month.
Mr Abdallahi assumed power after democrat elections in 2007, two years after generals ousted the former president in a bloodless coup.
Oil-producing Mauritania, which gained independence from France in 1960, has been severely stung by global food price rises.