Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09NOUAKCHOTT28
2009-01-12 10:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Nouakchott
Cable title:
ANTI-ISRAELI DEMONSTRATIONS REACH NEW LEVEL OF
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C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000028
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2019
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL MR
SUBJECT: ANTI-ISRAELI DEMONSTRATIONS REACH NEW LEVEL OF
VIOLENCE
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Dennis Hankins for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000028
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2019
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL MR
SUBJECT: ANTI-ISRAELI DEMONSTRATIONS REACH NEW LEVEL OF
VIOLENCE
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Dennis Hankins for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
1. (SBU) Friday prayers in Nouakchott January 9 ended with
people taking to the streets to protest continuing Israeli
military action in the Gaza Strip. Accurate crowd numbers
are hard to obtain -- some press reports placed the crowd at
10,000 or even 13,000 people. A more realistic number may be
2,000 people. In any event, the protest was large by
Mauritanian standards. The demonstrators massed downtown,
and then moved north in an attempt to reach the Israeli
embassy, burning a police car along the way. The crowd
chanted slogans calling for the expulsion of the "Zionist"
ambassador and the severing of diplomatic relations between
Israel and Mauritania. Several dozen protesters and police
were injured, some seriously, when the police used tear-gas
grenades and batons to keep the crowd at bay, who threw
stones in response. Protesters were able to get within about
three blocks of the Israeli embassy before the police,
reinforced by the Gendarmerie, stopped them for good. By
early evening, approximately 100 members of the Gendarmerie
cordoned off a large portion of the downtown area. As of two
days after the protest, stones continued to litter the main
north-south thoroughfare of the city. At no time did
protesters attempt to reach the U.S. Embassy.
2. (C) Though political parties called for the
demonstration, which was tacitly sanctioned by the
authorities, political leaders left the demonstration within
an hour of its start after witnessing its degeneration from
political protest to riot. Embassy LES' state that this was
the most violent civil unrest since at least 1992, and FSNI
could not recall the last time the Gendarmerie was called in
to reinforce the police and quell civil unrest. Note: The
Gendarmarie can only be called in at the request of the Wali
(regional governor),and only after the Chief of Staff of the
Ministry of Defense has approved. End note. In the wake of
the demonstration, the Wali of Nouakchott announced January
11 that all further Gaza-related protests are forbidden until
further notice. The Minister of the Interior, who is
ultimately in charge of the police, also made a statement
accusing some political parties (without naming names) of
taking advantage of the anti-Israeli demonstration to "stir
up trouble and undermine public security." He hinted that
formal charges may be forthcoming on certain political
leaders, a move that is widely suspected to mean members of
the moderate Islamist (and fierce anti-coup) Tawassoul party.
3. (C) Comment: Until now, the regime had been encouraging,
or at least tacitly approving, protests against Israeli
actions in Gaza, as long as protesters did not try to reach
the Israeli embassy. After this latest violent
demonstration, authorities appear to have realized that
events can quickly move beyond their control. Although
further protests are officially banned, it remains to be seen
whether or not the authorities will be able to prevent them.
End comment.
4. (C) Israeli Reaction: In conversations with Israeli
Ambassador Arbel, Charge saw greater concern than previously
voiced that General Aziz may succumb to growing pressure to
cut relations. The Mauritanian's continue to tell the
Israelis they will stick by the relationship but the
Israeli's did note Mauritanian statements that the recall of
their Ambassador is "just a first step." The Ambassador said
Israel has no intention of recalling him. They will leave
only if security is untenable or if Aziz cuts ties. The
Israelis have been appreciative of the security provided to
date as both effective and restrained. Meanwhile, President
Abdallahi's Chief of Staff Mohamed Kaber Ould Hammoudi told
Charge January 11 that, despite FNDD calls to the contrary,
President Abdallahi has no intention to cut ties if/when he
is back in power.
HANKINS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2019
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL MR
SUBJECT: ANTI-ISRAELI DEMONSTRATIONS REACH NEW LEVEL OF
VIOLENCE
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Dennis Hankins for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
1. (SBU) Friday prayers in Nouakchott January 9 ended with
people taking to the streets to protest continuing Israeli
military action in the Gaza Strip. Accurate crowd numbers
are hard to obtain -- some press reports placed the crowd at
10,000 or even 13,000 people. A more realistic number may be
2,000 people. In any event, the protest was large by
Mauritanian standards. The demonstrators massed downtown,
and then moved north in an attempt to reach the Israeli
embassy, burning a police car along the way. The crowd
chanted slogans calling for the expulsion of the "Zionist"
ambassador and the severing of diplomatic relations between
Israel and Mauritania. Several dozen protesters and police
were injured, some seriously, when the police used tear-gas
grenades and batons to keep the crowd at bay, who threw
stones in response. Protesters were able to get within about
three blocks of the Israeli embassy before the police,
reinforced by the Gendarmerie, stopped them for good. By
early evening, approximately 100 members of the Gendarmerie
cordoned off a large portion of the downtown area. As of two
days after the protest, stones continued to litter the main
north-south thoroughfare of the city. At no time did
protesters attempt to reach the U.S. Embassy.
2. (C) Though political parties called for the
demonstration, which was tacitly sanctioned by the
authorities, political leaders left the demonstration within
an hour of its start after witnessing its degeneration from
political protest to riot. Embassy LES' state that this was
the most violent civil unrest since at least 1992, and FSNI
could not recall the last time the Gendarmerie was called in
to reinforce the police and quell civil unrest. Note: The
Gendarmarie can only be called in at the request of the Wali
(regional governor),and only after the Chief of Staff of the
Ministry of Defense has approved. End note. In the wake of
the demonstration, the Wali of Nouakchott announced January
11 that all further Gaza-related protests are forbidden until
further notice. The Minister of the Interior, who is
ultimately in charge of the police, also made a statement
accusing some political parties (without naming names) of
taking advantage of the anti-Israeli demonstration to "stir
up trouble and undermine public security." He hinted that
formal charges may be forthcoming on certain political
leaders, a move that is widely suspected to mean members of
the moderate Islamist (and fierce anti-coup) Tawassoul party.
3. (C) Comment: Until now, the regime had been encouraging,
or at least tacitly approving, protests against Israeli
actions in Gaza, as long as protesters did not try to reach
the Israeli embassy. After this latest violent
demonstration, authorities appear to have realized that
events can quickly move beyond their control. Although
further protests are officially banned, it remains to be seen
whether or not the authorities will be able to prevent them.
End comment.
4. (C) Israeli Reaction: In conversations with Israeli
Ambassador Arbel, Charge saw greater concern than previously
voiced that General Aziz may succumb to growing pressure to
cut relations. The Mauritanian's continue to tell the
Israelis they will stick by the relationship but the
Israeli's did note Mauritanian statements that the recall of
their Ambassador is "just a first step." The Ambassador said
Israel has no intention of recalling him. They will leave
only if security is untenable or if Aziz cuts ties. The
Israelis have been appreciative of the security provided to
date as both effective and restrained. Meanwhile, President
Abdallahi's Chief of Staff Mohamed Kaber Ould Hammoudi told
Charge January 11 that, despite FNDD calls to the contrary,
President Abdallahi has no intention to cut ties if/when he
is back in power.
HANKINS