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| Africa North | |
| Mauritania: Military junta names new prime minister | |
| 2008-08-15 | |
(Aki) -- Mauritania's ruling military junta has named Ould Muhammad al-Aghdaf as the country's new Prime Minister. Al-Aghdaf is the son of a prominent religious leader who led the country's independence struggle from France over four decades ago.
More than two-thirds of the Parliament on Wednesday signed a declaration of support for the newly created 'Council of State' led by the Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, head of elected president Sidi Cheikh Ould Abdallahi's presidential guard. A minority of MPs who did not sign the letter belonged to a hardline Muslim party and a coalition of left-leaning politicians. On the same day, the junta began consultations on the formation of a new government as troops broke up an anti-coup protest in the capital, Noakchott. Observers say Abdallahi alienated the senior members of the military when against their advice he released several Islamist radicals and began a dialogue with members of an extreme Muslim sect. Allegations of corruption by Abdallahi's family also eroded his support. Abdallahi last year won the country's first free and fair vote in over 20 years. He was ousted by the junta last week and his whereabouts remain unknown. | |
| Posted by:Fred |