MAURITANIA: POLITICAL ROUNDUP FOR THE WEEK OF MAY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NOUAKCHOTT 000361

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/28/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPAO KDEM MR PHUM
SUBJECT: MAURITANIA: POLITICAL ROUNDUP FOR THE WEEK OF MAY
24-28

REF: A. NOUAKCHOTT 357

B. NOUAKCHOTT 356

C. NOUAKCHOTT 354

D. NOUAKCHOTT 358

E. NOUAKCHOTT 24

F. 07 NOUAKCHOTT 986

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


1. (C) Summary: The electoral campaign has started without
much participation or enthusiasm. General Aziz's campaigning
has taken over Nouakchott, giving the not-so-mistaken
impression that there is only one candidate in this
presidential race. Nevertheless, the campaign's empty tents
make it obvious he is not as popular as he claims to be. A
pro-coup party decided to boycott the elections and EmbOffs
met with Electoral Commission officials in the Trarza region
only to discover that electoral lists have not been posted
and the CENI is barely up and running. While the last
mediation attempt unfolds, the human rights situation worsens
with almost daily reports of arrests, beatings, threats and
repression. An incident of ethnic violence took place at the
University of Nouakchott, a member of a Sahraoui progressive
group requested funds to democratize the Polisario, and
EmbOffs returning to the country were screened for swine flu
at the airport. End summary.


2. (SBU) Campaign kicks off: There seems to be only one
candidate in this presidential race. Nouakchott is full of
Aziz's electoral propaganda and the other candidates'
campaigning materials are nowhere to be seen. Aziz's
campaign has installed scores of tents with bright lights,
loudspeakers, video screens and giant Aziz posters all over
the city. The road from Rosso to Nouakchott is also lined
with tents. PolOff went for a drive late in the evening of
May 27 and saw that most of the tents were almost empty with
only a few people, mostly women, sitting under them.
Nevertheless, the loudspeakers were blasting music and
campaign slogans until late at night. The ambience was more
lively at Aziz's Union Pour la Republique (UPR) party
headquarters where approximately 80 people had congregated.
According to local press reports, Aziz's campaign is paying
10,000 ouguiyas (approximately $40 USD) per day to anyone who
puts up a tent in his name. Press reported some tents have
been vandalized or burned by the opposition and a woman died
when tents installed in a hurry collapsed on her. Almost one
week before the election, Mauritanians seem to be going
through the motions without much enthusiasm or excitement.


3. (C) Senegalese mediation continues: Senegalese efforts
to mediate the Mauritanian crisis continued this week, though
no tangible results have been achieved yet. The FNDD and RFD
sent delegations to Dakar May 27 that will participate in
talks scheduled for May 28. Before leaving, FNDD and RFD
representatives told Ambassador they felt like they were
negotiating "under the gun" (Ref C).


4. (C) Maalouma arrested: RFD senator and popular
Mauritanian musician Maalouma Mint Meyydah was arrested May
24 after entering Mauritania from Senegal. Several boxes of
her new album were confiscated by Customs; the album is
strongly anti-coup. In a meeting with Ambassador on May 27,
Maalouma stated she has received death threats and her phones
have been tapped. She also complained the regime now forces
her to submit to the police an advance list of songs she
intends to play in concerts and prevents her from publicizing
her shows. Maalouma said Aziz's tribe, the Ouled Bisbaa, are
"a vindictive tribe" and she is considering seeking political
asylum, possibly in the U.S. She also asked the Ambassador
to intervene on behalf of her brother, who was recently
denied a visa to the US to accompany her in one of her
concerts. Maaolouma claims her brother has the same name as
an Algerian terrorist, which has prevented him from getting
visas to the US.


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5. (SBU) Swine flu: EmbOffs returning from leave in Morocco
were screened for swine flu at Nouakchott International
Airport on May 26. A doctor had a hand-held thermometer unit
and took the temperature of every passenger before allowing
him or her to enter the main terminal building.


6. (C) Regime cracks down on Conscience et Resistance:
Boston-based Mauritanian human rights activist Nasser Weddady
informed PolOff that many members of the clandestine
political group Conscience et Resistance had reported being
permanently followed by police agents. Weddady said the
repression comes in response to a recent Conscience and
Resistance anti-coup text message campaign that sent messages
condemning Aziz.


7. (C) UFP headquarters raided: On May 25, police entered
UFP headquarters in Nouadhibou and attacked party members
with tear gas and batons. According to UFP President Mohamed
Ould Maouloud, this is the first time in Mauritanian history
that the police have violated a political party's
headquarters.


8. (U) Police repress FNDD/RFD march: On May 25, Tawassoul
Secretary General Mouhamed El Bareck was savagely beaten by
the police, who broke his arm. Police use tear gas to
disperse protesters and arrested several demonstrators.


9. (U) CEN-SAD will send observers: The Community of
Sahelo-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) confirmed it will send
observers to the June 6 election. The statement wass made in
a May 27 commnique released after a briefing on the
Mauritanin situation by junta "Foreign Minister" Mohamed
Mhmoud Ould Mohamedou.


10. (SBU) Ould Weddad bocotts election: Taya strongman
Louleid Ould Wedad's party "Rassemblement du Peuple
Mauritanien"(RDPM) announced it intends to boycott the June
election. For many Mauritanians, Weddad's decisio to
reject Aziz highlights deep n* a g"3"ous dvisions in the
Mauritanianppoi(i(a l(s".* uld Weddad and his followers

re known for always standing on the side of power. His
migration to the opposition has made a deep impression on
Mauritanians.


11. (C) EmbOffs travel to Trarza region: EmbOffs meet with
CENI representatives, witnessed irregularities and discovered
the CENI is barely functional (Refs A and B).


12. (C) Meetings with presidential candidats: PolAsst met
with presidential candidates Sghir Ould M'Bareck (Ref D) and
Hamidou Baba Kane (eptel).


13. (U) Ethnic tensions at the Universiy: According to
local press, a female White Moo student was beaten on May 27
by an Afro-Mauritaian student at the University of
Nouakchott's Scence Department. The following day, a group
of hite Moor men savagely beat up the Afro-Mauritanian
student in retribution.


14. (C) Meeting withPolisario dissident: Mahjoub Saleck,
General Cordinator of the dissident group "Khat Echahid"
(ine of the Martyr),met with Ambassador on May 28 o
request funds to "democratize Polisario." He acused
Polisario leaders of receiving money from eneral Aziz and

making money on the Sahrawi people's plight. His group,
which calls for democratization and modernization, would use
the funds to publish a newspaper and to create a web site.
Saleck stated that many Sahrawi have turned to all sorts of
trafficking to survive. He explained how difficult it is for
them to obtain passports and to move freely. His group has
repeatedly attempted to contact US Embassy Rabat and Algiers
but has been unable to because the Algerians and Moroccans
control all their movements. Saleck previously met with DCM
Dennis Hankins (Refs E and F); this is the fourth time he has
visited the Embassy. Ambassador noted that Western Sahara

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issues were handled elsewhere, but promised to pass along his
message.
BOULWARE