Army officers staged a coup in the vast desert state of Mauritania yesterday, overthrowing the Government hours after the country’s top four military officials were sacked.

The President, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, the first democratically elected leader of the impoverished country in northwest Africa, was being held in the capital, Nouakchott. Soldiers also detained Yahya Ould Ahmed Waqef, the Prime Minister, according to a presidential spokesman.

A brief announcement read on state television said that a new junta would be led by the head of the country’s presidential guard, General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz. The coup leaders also annulled the new army appointments made by the President. Mr Abdallahi’s rule has been in trouble for months amid anger over soaring food prices. There have also been widespread allegations of ministerial corruption.

Attacks on tourists and foreign nationals carried out by al-Qaeda’s North African arm, which is strong in neighbouring Algeria, have also helped to destabilise the Government.

Oil, which began to be produced for the first time in 2006 from Mauritania’s offshore Chinguetti field, has failed to lead to an expected bonanza. Production has reached only a fifth of the levels originally predicted.

Mr Abdallahi was elected President last year, restoring democracy after the army deposed the previous president of 21 years, Maaouha Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya, in 2005. But his rule was only a few months old when cracks appeared. In May he replaced his Government but the new administration resigned last month.

The latest government line-up was weakened by the withdrawal of support of two opposition parties, and on Monday 48 MPs walked out on Mr Abdallahi’s ruling PNDD-Adil party, allegedly with the covert encouragement of the generals behind yesterday’s coup. Analysts say that this precipated Mr Abdallahi’s decision to sack his military leaders.

In a profoundly tribal society ruled by an oligarchy of major families, General Abdelaziz belongs to the same family as Mr Abdallahi’s wife, and the two were seen as the true power behind the presidency. Security analysts for Western oil interests said that food riots in Mauritanian towns before Christmas caused panic among oligarchs keen to retain their lucrative hold on power. The coup is seen as a struggle between the rich families.

Mauritania’s three million inhabitants are a mixture of Moors of Arab and Berber origin, and black Africans. Its official languages are Arabic and French. France was its former colonial power.

Freedom and slavery

— In the Middle Ages Mauritania's rulers were responsible for the spread of Islam through North Africa and into Spain

— Slavery was banned in 1905, 1981 and 2007 but is still believed to be widespread

— Mauritania is one of three Arab states with diplomatic relations with Israel

— There have now been 11 coups or attempted coups since independence in 1960

Source: www.cia.gov

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