Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NOUAKCHOTT770
2006-06-20 17:42:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Nouakchott
Cable title:  

ARREST UPDATE

Tags:  PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID KPAO CASC MR 
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RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0287
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000770 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID KPAO CASC MR
SUBJECT: ARREST UPDATE

REF: NOUAKCHOTT 764

Classified By: Amb. Joseph LeBaron, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)

--------------
(C) Key Points
--------------

-- As of 1700 hours, the streets remain calm, and the police
continue to maintain their typical force levels. The Embassy
has discerned no threat to the Embassy, its personnel, or to
the American community stemming from the arrests (reftel).

-- The Military Council this morning ordered all military
officers to remain on their bases until further notice. The
restriction, which does not apply to enlisted soldiers, is
seen as a safeguard against potential officer-led actions
against the Military Council.

-- Last night's arrests appear not to have affected planning
for the referendum this Sunday. Public support appears to
remain high for the Military Council and the coming
elections. The people we have talked to still plan to vote.

-- The Embassy still plans to deploy its observation teams,
sending between 20 and 25 Embassy officials out to observe
the referendum, in close coordination with the UN Electoral
Assistance Secretariat here.

------------
(C) Comments
------------

-- It is still too early to assess the impact this turn of
events will have on the democratic transition underway here.
This we do know:

(1) The alleged plotting is the most adverse political
event to occur in Mauritania since the coup 10 months ago.

(2) The fragility of the democratization process here
has increased. The USG can -- and should -- expect to see
further such challenges to that process, both before and
after the presidential elections scheduled for March 2007.

(3) The arrests of alleged plotters closely associated
with ousted President Taya almost certainly reveal a steadily
escalating struggle among White Moor tribes, clans, and
families over political power and access to Mauritania's
gathering oil wealth. We expect that struggle to intensify.

-- Ambassador and other Embassy officials have been actively
reaching out today to Mauritanians to counsel continued
commitment to the series of free and fair elections the
Mauritanians themselves have set (see septel on Ambassador's
meeting with six political parties). Our outreach will
continue.

End Key Points and Comments.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000770

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID KPAO CASC MR
SUBJECT: ARREST UPDATE

REF: NOUAKCHOTT 764

Classified By: Amb. Joseph LeBaron, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)

--------------
(C) Key Points
--------------

-- As of 1700 hours, the streets remain calm, and the police
continue to maintain their typical force levels. The Embassy
has discerned no threat to the Embassy, its personnel, or to
the American community stemming from the arrests (reftel).

-- The Military Council this morning ordered all military
officers to remain on their bases until further notice. The
restriction, which does not apply to enlisted soldiers, is
seen as a safeguard against potential officer-led actions
against the Military Council.

-- Last night's arrests appear not to have affected planning
for the referendum this Sunday. Public support appears to
remain high for the Military Council and the coming
elections. The people we have talked to still plan to vote.

-- The Embassy still plans to deploy its observation teams,
sending between 20 and 25 Embassy officials out to observe
the referendum, in close coordination with the UN Electoral
Assistance Secretariat here.

--------------
(C) Comments
--------------

-- It is still too early to assess the impact this turn of
events will have on the democratic transition underway here.
This we do know:

(1) The alleged plotting is the most adverse political
event to occur in Mauritania since the coup 10 months ago.

(2) The fragility of the democratization process here
has increased. The USG can -- and should -- expect to see
further such challenges to that process, both before and
after the presidential elections scheduled for March 2007.

(3) The arrests of alleged plotters closely associated
with ousted President Taya almost certainly reveal a steadily
escalating struggle among White Moor tribes, clans, and
families over political power and access to Mauritania's
gathering oil wealth. We expect that struggle to intensify.


-- Ambassador and other Embassy officials have been actively
reaching out today to Mauritanians to counsel continued
commitment to the series of free and fair elections the
Mauritanians themselves have set (see septel on Ambassador's
meeting with six political parties). Our outreach will
continue.

End Key Points and Comments.


1. (C) The Embassy has continued meeting with civilian and
military officials in an effort to get more information
regarding last nights arrests of high ranking military
officers and civilians associated with former President Taya
(reftel),and to encourage Mauritanians to continue their
commitment to democratization. While some new information
has been learned, officials are tightlipped, and much remains
unknown.

--------------
CONFLICTING REPORTS
--------------


2. (C) According to both civilian (police and security) and
military officials, Colonel Sid Mohamed Ould Vaida, Colonel
Abderrahmane Ould Lekwar, Mini Ould Lekwar, and Mohamed Ould
Mohamed Aly have been arrested (see reftel for their
descriptions). However, officials disagree on the additional
arrests.


3. (C) Civilian officials say that no other arrests have
taken place, while military officials say that Colonel

NOUAKCHOTT 00000770 002 OF 002


Chrouf, Colonel Riha, and General Boukhreiss and his son were
also arrested. (Note: Officials indicated that the arrests
of military personnel were conducted by the Gendarmerie,
while civilians were arrested by the National Police. If
true, such a split may account for the conflicting reports of
those arrested.)


4. (C) Rumors continue to circulate that influential business
leaders have been arrested as well, but there has been no
confirmation of such arrests.

--------------
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
--------------


5. (C) According to military officials, the Military Council
this morning ordered all military officers to remain on their
bases until further notice. The restriction, which does not
apply to enlisted soldiers, is seen as a safeguard against
potential officer-led actions against the Military Council.

--------------
Political Impact
--------------


6. (C) At present, it does not appear that last night's
arrests will affect the constitutional referendum this
Sunday. Mauritanians have told Embassy staff that they
continue to plan to vote, and that these events are more a
matter of the Military Council "cleaning up" some of Taya's
old supporters that were "planning something." The Embassy
plans to continue its observation mission. Embassy will send
between 20 and 25 Embassy officials out to observe the
referendum vote June 25.


7. (C) In response to rumors that last night's event's were
related to an effort by those arrested to negatively
influence the vote against the referendum, PolOff attempted
to contact the four political parties in the "Bloc for
Change" party coalition, which had planned to boycott the
election (the only coalition to take such a stand). PolOff
was unable to reach anyone in any of the parties for comment.
(Note: This is the first time PolOff has been unable to
contact a Bloc for Change member in more than six months of
regular contact.)

--------------
LOCAL REACTION
--------------


8. (C) Available information concerning the arrests is still
quite scarce and the public has thus far reacted only to the
rumors, which range from a handful of arrests to the
government having put down an actual coup attempt. In either
case, the public appears to continue its support for the
Military Council and for the coming elections.


9. (U) According to a Reuters report, a Military Council
spokesman, Sidi Ould Domane, said "a group of people
nostalgic for the past are trying to impede the process of
democratization the old way. They want to sabotage Sunday's
referendum."


10. (C) Local speculation about the events focus primarily on
supporters of former president Taya who are either trying to
overthrow the current government (to allow for Taya's return)
or disrupt the referendum to discredit the current
government.

--------------
SECURITY
--------------


11. (C) As of 17:00 local, the streets remain calm, and the
police continue to maintain their typical force levels. The
Embassy has discerned no threat to the Embassy, its
personnel, or to the American community stemming from the
arrests.
LeBaron