Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NOUAKCHOTT764
2006-06-20 11:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Nouakchott
Cable title:
SEVERAL ARRESTED FOR COUP PLOTTING
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000764
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID KPAO MR
SUBJECT: SEVERAL ARRESTED FOR COUP PLOTTING
Classified By: Amb. Joseph LeBaron, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)
--------------
(C) Key Points
--------------
-- The police here arrested late last night several high
ranking military officers and civilians associated with
former President Taya, who was overthrown in a bloodless coup
last August. One of the officers was still on active duty.
-- No official statements or charges have yet been made, but
the arrests almost certainly involve coup plotting, an actual
coup attempt, or an active effort to disrupt the imminent
national referendum this Sunday, the 25th, on several
critically important amendments to Mauritania's constitution.
-- Members of the ruling Military Council, many of whom were
spread around the country promoting the referendum, were
called back to Nouakchott last night for a special council
session.
------------
(C) Comments
------------
-- The streets are calm, the police are not out in any
increased presence, and the Embassy has discerned no threat
to the Embassy, its personnel, or to the American community
stemming from the arrests.
-- The arrests underscore a point repeatedly made in earlier
Embassy reporting: Mauritania's current democratic
transition is quite fragile and in constant danger of
disruption through coup, assassination, or some other
exogenous shock to the process.
End Key Points and Comments.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000764
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID KPAO MR
SUBJECT: SEVERAL ARRESTED FOR COUP PLOTTING
Classified By: Amb. Joseph LeBaron, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)
--------------
(C) Key Points
--------------
-- The police here arrested late last night several high
ranking military officers and civilians associated with
former President Taya, who was overthrown in a bloodless coup
last August. One of the officers was still on active duty.
-- No official statements or charges have yet been made, but
the arrests almost certainly involve coup plotting, an actual
coup attempt, or an active effort to disrupt the imminent
national referendum this Sunday, the 25th, on several
critically important amendments to Mauritania's constitution.
-- Members of the ruling Military Council, many of whom were
spread around the country promoting the referendum, were
called back to Nouakchott last night for a special council
session.
--------------
(C) Comments
--------------
-- The streets are calm, the police are not out in any
increased presence, and the Embassy has discerned no threat
to the Embassy, its personnel, or to the American community
stemming from the arrests.
-- The arrests underscore a point repeatedly made in earlier
Embassy reporting: Mauritania's current democratic
transition is quite fragile and in constant danger of
disruption through coup, assassination, or some other
exogenous shock to the process.
End Key Points and Comments.
1. (C) The Military Council for Justice and Democracy (MCJD)
last night arrested several high-ranking military officers.
The motivation for the arrests is unclear at this time, but
is believed to be related either to a coup attempt, coup
plotting, or to an effort to disrupt the coming June 25
National Referendum vote.
--------------
THE ARRESTS
--------------
2. (C) The confirmed arrests include:
- Colonel Sid Mohamed Ould Vaida, former commander of the
Second Commando Battalion and a key security player under the
Taya government. Vaida was one of five officers arrested
following the August 3 coup for his refusal to support the
overthrow of Taya. He was later released from custody and
fired. Vaida's strong loyalty to Taya was also demonstrated
during the 2003 failed coup attempt when Vaida's battalion
withstood a tank assault by the coup leaders. Vaida received
infantry officer training at Fort Benning, Georgia through
the International Military Educational Training Program
(IMET).
- Colonel Abderrahmane Ould Lekwar, former Chief of the Navy,
and current Navy Technical Advisor to the Chief of the
Defense Force.
- Mini Ould Lekwar, cousin of former President Taya and son
of Colonel Lekwar.
- General Boukhreiss (and his son (no name currently
available)). Boukhreiss was the former Chief of the Defense
Force who retired in 2002. He is reportedly the only
Mauritanian officer to serve as a General.
- Colonel Chrouf, former Commander of the Headquarters
Security Battalion.
- Colonel Riha, former Chief of Staff of the National
Gendarmerie.
NOUAKCHOTT 00000764 002 OF 002
- Mohamed Ould Mohamed Aly, former Mauritanian Ambassador to
UNESCO in Paris, who had also served as a diplomat in Morocco
and Saudi Arabia.
3. (C) The unconfirmed arrests:
- Sid'Brahim Hamdinou, former director of Radio Mauritania
(the government owned radio station).
- Ould El Hadj El Mokhtar, president of "Democrats without
Boarders," an NGO that supports the return of Taya through
its website.
4. (C) Mauritanian military sources indicate that the
government is currently looking for Colonel Arby, the former
Chief of the Defense Force, who was arrested and later
released and fired following the August 2005 coup.
5. (C) These same military sources said that the arrests
occurred after the government received information that many
of these individuals had recently met to discuss ways to
disrupt the coming Referendum.
6. (C) The common thread among the arrests appears to be
close familial and tribal ties to former president Taya.
Embassy Comment. Those arrested were close to Taya, or at a
minimum, would profit from his return. End Comment.
7. (C) Beyond the eight confirmed arrests, it is unknown how
many others were taken into custody. Some reports place the
number as high as 20, and the numbers could go even higher.
--------------
SPECULATIONS
--------------
8. (C) Last nights events have been reported on the
government owned radio station, and have begun to appear in
local online journals, but the government has not yet made an
official statement. Rumors have spread of coup attempts and
plotting, including plans for the assassination of Colonel
Fal.
9. (C) Embassy sources have been reluctant to discuss the
events over the phone, and have instead requested meetings
in-person. Post will report any substantive findings from
these meetings.
LeBaron
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID KPAO MR
SUBJECT: SEVERAL ARRESTED FOR COUP PLOTTING
Classified By: Amb. Joseph LeBaron, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)
--------------
(C) Key Points
--------------
-- The police here arrested late last night several high
ranking military officers and civilians associated with
former President Taya, who was overthrown in a bloodless coup
last August. One of the officers was still on active duty.
-- No official statements or charges have yet been made, but
the arrests almost certainly involve coup plotting, an actual
coup attempt, or an active effort to disrupt the imminent
national referendum this Sunday, the 25th, on several
critically important amendments to Mauritania's constitution.
-- Members of the ruling Military Council, many of whom were
spread around the country promoting the referendum, were
called back to Nouakchott last night for a special council
session.
--------------
(C) Comments
--------------
-- The streets are calm, the police are not out in any
increased presence, and the Embassy has discerned no threat
to the Embassy, its personnel, or to the American community
stemming from the arrests.
-- The arrests underscore a point repeatedly made in earlier
Embassy reporting: Mauritania's current democratic
transition is quite fragile and in constant danger of
disruption through coup, assassination, or some other
exogenous shock to the process.
End Key Points and Comments.
1. (C) The Military Council for Justice and Democracy (MCJD)
last night arrested several high-ranking military officers.
The motivation for the arrests is unclear at this time, but
is believed to be related either to a coup attempt, coup
plotting, or to an effort to disrupt the coming June 25
National Referendum vote.
--------------
THE ARRESTS
--------------
2. (C) The confirmed arrests include:
- Colonel Sid Mohamed Ould Vaida, former commander of the
Second Commando Battalion and a key security player under the
Taya government. Vaida was one of five officers arrested
following the August 3 coup for his refusal to support the
overthrow of Taya. He was later released from custody and
fired. Vaida's strong loyalty to Taya was also demonstrated
during the 2003 failed coup attempt when Vaida's battalion
withstood a tank assault by the coup leaders. Vaida received
infantry officer training at Fort Benning, Georgia through
the International Military Educational Training Program
(IMET).
- Colonel Abderrahmane Ould Lekwar, former Chief of the Navy,
and current Navy Technical Advisor to the Chief of the
Defense Force.
- Mini Ould Lekwar, cousin of former President Taya and son
of Colonel Lekwar.
- General Boukhreiss (and his son (no name currently
available)). Boukhreiss was the former Chief of the Defense
Force who retired in 2002. He is reportedly the only
Mauritanian officer to serve as a General.
- Colonel Chrouf, former Commander of the Headquarters
Security Battalion.
- Colonel Riha, former Chief of Staff of the National
Gendarmerie.
NOUAKCHOTT 00000764 002 OF 002
- Mohamed Ould Mohamed Aly, former Mauritanian Ambassador to
UNESCO in Paris, who had also served as a diplomat in Morocco
and Saudi Arabia.
3. (C) The unconfirmed arrests:
- Sid'Brahim Hamdinou, former director of Radio Mauritania
(the government owned radio station).
- Ould El Hadj El Mokhtar, president of "Democrats without
Boarders," an NGO that supports the return of Taya through
its website.
4. (C) Mauritanian military sources indicate that the
government is currently looking for Colonel Arby, the former
Chief of the Defense Force, who was arrested and later
released and fired following the August 2005 coup.
5. (C) These same military sources said that the arrests
occurred after the government received information that many
of these individuals had recently met to discuss ways to
disrupt the coming Referendum.
6. (C) The common thread among the arrests appears to be
close familial and tribal ties to former president Taya.
Embassy Comment. Those arrested were close to Taya, or at a
minimum, would profit from his return. End Comment.
7. (C) Beyond the eight confirmed arrests, it is unknown how
many others were taken into custody. Some reports place the
number as high as 20, and the numbers could go even higher.
--------------
SPECULATIONS
--------------
8. (C) Last nights events have been reported on the
government owned radio station, and have begun to appear in
local online journals, but the government has not yet made an
official statement. Rumors have spread of coup attempts and
plotting, including plans for the assassination of Colonel
Fal.
9. (C) Embassy sources have been reluctant to discuss the
events over the phone, and have instead requested meetings
in-person. Post will report any substantive findings from
these meetings.
LeBaron