Wednesday, August 03, 2005
A coup in Mauritania
The army has taken over in Mauritania, overthrowing one of the three Arab governments that recognize Israel. More significantly, Mauritania is a front-line state in the war against al Qaeda, and it is hosting American and European advisors who have helped it crack down on Islamists and al Qaeda affiliates. For background, see my post on al Qaeda in Mauritania and the links therein.
President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya's government was not, apparently, well-liked (there was lots of shouting and honking of horns in celebration after the coup), but he was a big supporter of Western interests in the region. It is not yet clear from the news accounts whether the army's controlling faction will expel foreign military advisors or otherwise significantly change the extent to which Mauritania cooperates in the hunting of al Qaeda.
UPDATE: Publius Pundit has more here (via Glenn):
This strikes me as unrealistically optimistic. From the sounds of it, Mauritania is so isolated that it is a very long way away from a "diverse civil society." Even Saudi Arabia has mass communications and a substantial educated population -- Mauritania has none of these. As much as I support the political maturation of even the most hideous countries in Africa, in the case of Mauritania it is most important that the government not allow al Qaeda to build on its already troubling influence in West Africa.
President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya's government was not, apparently, well-liked (there was lots of shouting and honking of horns in celebration after the coup), but he was a big supporter of Western interests in the region. It is not yet clear from the news accounts whether the army's controlling faction will expel foreign military advisors or otherwise significantly change the extent to which Mauritania cooperates in the hunting of al Qaeda.
UPDATE: Publius Pundit has more here (via Glenn):
A good sign is that President Taya has persecuted hundreds of soldiers in the past years, accusing them of plotting coups. Well, it looks like he was right, but that persecution is going to hopefully have a positive effect on how the military council rules.
To make a comparison, this is like the military coup in Guinea-Bissau where a transitional government was set up in order to progress the country to the point where it could hold elections. That is what needs to happen here; fighting down radical elements while promoting a diverse civil society. Two years should be enough for the council, and thankfully it is a council instead of a single person, to do this.
This strikes me as unrealistically optimistic. From the sounds of it, Mauritania is so isolated that it is a very long way away from a "diverse civil society." Even Saudi Arabia has mass communications and a substantial educated population -- Mauritania has none of these. As much as I support the political maturation of even the most hideous countries in Africa, in the case of Mauritania it is most important that the government not allow al Qaeda to build on its already troubling influence in West Africa.
1 Comments:
By 
, at
Wed Aug 03, 03:47:00 PM:
I made an update because I had to run some errands real quick. But to sum it up, think Pinochet.
