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| Africa: North |
| Mauritanian strongman pledges to fight terrorism |
| 2005-10-09 |
| The leader of Mauritania's new military junta pledged on Sunday to maintain the country's international commitments to fight terrorism, which have included U.S. military training for Mauritanian troops. Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall, head of the military council that ousted President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya in a bloodless coup in early August, said combating terrorism would protect Mauritania's own security. "Terrorism is contrary to our own values," he said in his first public news conference since the 17-member military junta seized power in Mauritania, which straddles black and Arab Africa and is due to start pumping oil next year. "We'll do everything possible to ensure it does not take root in Mauritania and we will respect all our international engagements in the fight against this phenomenon," he added. The news conference began late on Saturday and ended in the early hours of Sunday. Although Mohamed Vall did not specifically mention the United States, his words appeared aimed at reassuring Washington that it could still count on Mauritania's cooperation in efforts to stop the spread southwards of radical Islamic militants across the Sahara desert. Following the August 3 coup, Washington initially called for the return of Taya, who had ruled for more than 20 years. But later, realising the extent of popular support for the coup, it said it was prepared to work with Mauritania's new rulers if they kept their promise to organise transparent elections. Mohamed Vall said the junta would only modify its previously announced programme to hold a referendum on constitutional reforms in a year and elections within two years if Mauritanians wanted such a change of plan. He said there would be no "witch hunt or settling of scores" against the ousted president and his supporters. Asked if Taya, who was abroad when the coup occurred, could return, Mohamed Vall said he was a Mauritanian citizen who had the right to participate in national politics. "The important thing is to turn the page," he told the packed news conference, speaking in both French and Arabic. The junta last month declared a general amnesty for political prisoners, freeing dozens of former coup plotters and Islamist politicians. Mauritanians welcomed the releases. But the amnesty did not cover a hard core of around 20 suspected Islamist extremists who have remained in detention. Some of these are suspected of receiving military training in Algeria from the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), a movement which has pledged allegiance to al Qaeda and is listed by the United States as a terrorist organisation. "Their case is in the hands of the justice system, which must make its decision," Mohamed Vall said. In another apparent warning to extremists, he said the junta would not allow any party to exclusively claim to represent Islamic interests. "Mauritania is an Islamic country, it's written in our constitution ... Islam cannot be the monopoly of any political party," he said. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |