SIT REP 4: COUP IN MAURITANIA

S E C R E T NOUAKCHOTT 000414

STATE FOR AF/W, S/CT, PM, INR, S/ES-O, DS/DSS/C, DS/RD/AF,
OCS/ACS, MR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2018
TAGS: ASEC CASC PGOV PREL PINR MOPS MR
SUBJECT: SIT REP 4: COUP IN MAURITANIA

REF: A. NOUAKCHOTT 411

B. NOUAKCHOTT 412

C. NOUAKCHOTT 413

Classified By: Ambassador Mark M. Boulware for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Nouakchott was calm overnight and activity was reduced
in town but relatively normal. Post has received reports are
that General Aziz moved from BASEP headquarters to the
Presidency yesterday evening. He has not been seen in public
since the coup took place. The perimeter established by
BASEP around the Presidency has been expanded from where it
was yesterday, but military and police forces in other parts
of Nouakchott seem more relaxed. Post has received no
indications of dissent or opposition to the coup within the
military (other than the three colonels arrested yesterday)
or organized resistance among civilians.


2. (C) The EAC met at 12:00 local time. The EAC recommends
that Post's security posture remain the same.


3. (S) Ambassador received a call in the evening of August 6
from General Delegate for Promotion of Private Investment
(and former Chief of Staff for President Abdallahi) Sidi
Mohamed Ould Amajar. Amajar (strictly protect) called to
denounce the coup and to urge a strong response by the
international community. He also advised that President
Abdallahi's son Mohammed wanted to speak to the Ambassador,
as well. Amajar reported that he was safe and at liberty, at
least for the time being.


4. (S) Mohammed Abdallahi (strictly protect) called
Ambassador a short time later indicating that he was being
held in a suite at the Presidency along with the First Lady,
his sister and two cousins. Asked about his wife, who is an
AmCit, he confirmed that she is out of the country. He said
that their phones had been taken away from them except for
one that he had managed to conceal and that televisions had
been disconnected although they had access to radio.
Mohammed also denounced the coup and hoped for a strong
international reaction. He said that the President had
concluded that keeping the generals on was simply
incompatible with democratic rule and observed that their
reaction proved that. He said that the family was in good
condition but did not know the whereabouts or condition of
President Abdallahi. Ambassador noted that we had received
assurances that he was safe and sound.


5. (C) Ambassador Boulware called on the Malian Charge to
inquire about Mali's position and whether any initiatives
were contemplated. The Charge noted that his president was
on the way to the Olympics and that most of the government
was on holiday so no official position had yet been
developed. He opined personally that Mali had no choice but
to strongly condemn the coup, particularly as Mauritania had
so consciously taken Mali as a model for the transition here.
He noted that the Secretary General of the Arab Maghreb
Union was expected here today on a mediation mission.


6. (C) FSNI reports that the four colonels President
Abdallahi named to replace the four officers that he fired
August 6 are being held at the Ministry of Interior. He
reports that they support the coup, but General Aziz believed
they might pose a security risk because Abdallahi appointed
them so he ordered them to be arrested.


7. (SBU) General Aziz named the members of the Council of
State in a statement broadcast on TV Mauritania. While the
first communique from the Council of State indicated that it
would be comprised of 14 military and civilian members, the
Council of State is composed of only 11 military officers.
Nearly all of the members of the Council of State were part
of the CMJD, the military group that led the 2005 coup and
governed during the transition period. General Aziz is the
president of the Council of State. The other 10 members are:
--General Mohamed Ould Cheikh Mohamed Ahmed (aka Ghazwani)
--General Felix Negri
--Colonel Ahmed Ould Bekrine
--Colonel Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ould El Hadi
--Colonel Ghoulam Ould Mahmoud
--Colonel Mohamed Ould Meguet
--Colonel Mohamed Ould Mohamed Znagui
--Colonel Dia Adama Oumar
--Colonel Hanena Ould Sidi
--Colonel Ahmedou Bemba Ould Baye


8. (C) Local media report and Embassy FSNs confirm that they
are hearing that the Council of State approached the
President of the National Assembly, President of the Senate
(incorrectly reported as being arrested earlier),and
opposition leader Ahmed Ould Daddah to be the three civilian
members of the Council. Reports are that the three declined
because they did not want to be associated with a military
coup, even if they support it, because it could hurt their
future in politics.


9. (U) General Aziz granted an interview to the Swiss
newspaper "Le Temps" August 6 in which he said that "this is
not a coup d'etat. It is an action intended to save the
country and put it back on the tracks of a political process
that the army initiated August 3, 2005, and which allowed
credible and transparent democratic institutions to be set
up." Aziz also stated in the interview that the army is the
guarantor of the highest interests of the country and that
since the country has had to deal with a series of security
problems in recent months, to infringe on the army and remove
the most competent and respected leaders puts the country in
"a very dangerous situation."


10. (SBU) TV Mauritania resumed its regular programming with
its 21:30 French language news broadcast August 6. The
broadcast included approximately five minutes of coverage
about the day's events in Mauritania, beginning with a
montage of pictures of General Aziz and the Mauritanian flag.
Like General Aziz, the news broadcast never used the word
"coup" in its broadcast, instead it simply stated that the
Council of State led by General Aziz was now in power. It
was extremely positive in its portrayal of the events. The
broadcast included the statement from the Minister of
Communications announcing the formation of the Council of
State, a press conference held by members of Parliament in
support General Aziz and the coup, and several "man on the
street" interviews all in support of the coup.


11. (U) The airport in Nouakchott is now officially open
again. The Royal Air Maroc flight arrived and departed as
scheduled early this morning. The Air France office in
Nouakchott confirmed to Post that its regularly scheduled
flight today will be arriving this evening as scheduled.


12. (SBU) Supporters of the coup organized a rally in
Nouakchott August 7 10:00-12:00. The rally began at the
airport, moved through Nouakchott and ended near the National
Hospital. EmbOffs who watched the rally stated that there
were about 300-400 participants on foot and about 100 cars
full of people. Most of the cars participating in the rally
were new and in good condition, as opposed to most of the
cars normally seen in Nouakchott. EmbOffs report that the
participants in the rally were of all ages and ethnicities.
The rally appeared to be very well organized, with men in
suits directing the participants and police forces in trucks
and on foot to direct traffic. The rally was peaceful and
there were no counter-demonstrations. Members of Ould
Daddah's political party were present at the rally.
Participants were carrying pictures of General Aziz and
banners that said "we support the correction" and "we support
the restoration of democratic institutions" while chanting
"long live the army."


13. (C) The make-up of participants in the rally supports
Post's assessment that those reacting to the coup are the
elite and average Mauritanians have remained quiet about the
coup. Embassy FSNs said that the population does not want to
put themselves at risk while the military is in power. In
addition, President Abdallahi has not developed a strong
relationship with the population and Mauritanians are
disappointed that nothing had really changed in Mauritania
since he became President. Embassy FSNs said that most
Mauritanians do not have a strong feeling about President
Abdallahi or the coup.


14. (S) A second protest occurred shortly after 13:00 local
time in the vicinity of the National Assembly. This second
protest was in opposition to the coup. There were
approximately 200-300 protestors. Police responded
immediately and dispersed the crowd with tear gas. The
security officer at the Israeli Embassy (strictly protect)
told ARSO that the Islamist parties are behind the protests.
Local media reports that the vice-president of the Tawassoul
Islamist party was injured in the protest after being hit by

a tear gas canister and taken to the National Hospital.
Police have forbidden political parties from protesting
against the coup.


15. (U) Post has cancelled all visitors through August 16.
It will review its visitors policy again next week.

Boulware