Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09NOUAKCHOTT451
2009-07-12 17:21:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Nouakchott
Cable title:  

MAURITANIA ELECTION CHRONICLES FOR JULY 12 --

Tags:  PREL PGOV KDEM MR PHUM 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000451 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM MR PHUM
SUBJECT: MAURITANIA ELECTION CHRONICLES FOR JULY 12 --
POLITICAL NOMADISM

REF: NOUAKCHOTT 440

Classified By: Ambassador Mark Boulware for reasons 1.4 (c) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000451

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM MR PHUM
SUBJECT: MAURITANIA ELECTION CHRONICLES FOR JULY 12 --
POLITICAL NOMADISM

REF: NOUAKCHOTT 440

Classified By: Ambassador Mark Boulware for reasons 1.4 (c) and (d)


1. (SBU) Aziz organizes massive political rally: As
promised last week on the campaign trail, presidential
candidate Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz held a political rally in
the Nouakchott neighborhood of Arafat on July 11. The event
was widely publicized and Mattel cell phone users received an
unsolicited SMS on July 10 announcing the time and location
of the rally. According to LES reports, thousands attended
-- some as Aziz supporters, others as mere spectators eager
to see, as promised by Aziz, proof of Ahmed Ould Daddah and
Messaoud Ould Boulkheir's corruption schemes. Some witnesses
stated that many participants were young and not of legal
voting age. A small helicopter overflew the gathering
throwing Aziz posters and photographs, which the crowd
originally mistook for ouguiya bills. Aziz appeared with his
Ouled Bisbaa tribesman and powerful businessman Mohamed Ould
Bouamatou, despite recent rumors of disagreements between
them. As usual, Aziz harshly criticized his opponents and
accused them of corruption -- he pointed fingers at Boulkheir
for supposedly mismanaging 300 million UM (approximately $1
million USD) in National Assembly funds and at Ould Daddah
for squandering democratic opposition funds. He also
identified UNAD president and FNDD member Abdel Koudous
Abeidna as the mysterious Mauritanian businessman who
supposedly traveled across the US gathering support from
pro-Israel groups (reftel). Comment: Abeidna, a close
Embassy contact, spent three months in France lobbying French
politicians against the coup. Contrary to Aziz's statements,
Abeidna did not set foot in the US. End comment.
Nevertheless, he failed to provide concrete proof of any of
these accusation and justified his broken promise by stating
that his technical team had not been able to project the
documents on stage. Surprisingly, for the first time since
the beginning of the campaign, he refrained from criticizing
his cousin Ely Ould Mohamed Vall. Rumors say Bouamatou,
formerly close to Vall, has struck a deal with Vall to
support him in case he moves on to the second round of

elections and has requested that Aziz stops dragging his
cousin's name in the mud in political rallies.


2. (SBU) TSA Tous Sauf Aziz -- Anyone But Aziz): In yet
another sign of opposition unity against Aziz, the campaign
directors for Vall, Ould Daddah, Ould Boulkheir issued a
joint statement denouncing Aziz' campaign tactics and
dismissal of the key political elements of the Dakar
Agreement. Candidate Ould Daddah (who had consistently
denigrated President Abdallahi over the past ten months) came
out with a statement praising the President for his resolute
stand against the coup.


3. (SBU) The Smasside strike a deal with Daddah: According
to local press reports and rumors, the Smasside tribe has
promised to support RFD's Daddah in exchange for the
appointment as prime minister of former SNIM director Mohamed
Saled Ould Heyine. The press describes this alliance as
"against nature," highlighting that Daddah's tribe and the
Smasside have been long-time enemies. Comment: Director for
the Arab Maghreb Mohamed Ould Mekhale called PolOff's
attention today to the "strange" nature of alliances in this
election, alluding to the Smasside-Daddah pact. He stated
members of the same tribe are supporting different candidates
and even allying with unexpected ones. Mekhale interprets
this lack of tribal cohesiveness -- well-known Smasside
elements are also behind Aziz and Boulkheir -- and
unexpected alliances as "the beginning of the end of tribal
politics." According to local press, this "political
nomadism" leading to strange alliances was at the heart of
President Abdallahi's fall.


4. (U) A campaign that revolves around money: Local press
reports that the July 18 campaign is the first in Mauritanian
history where money plays a central role. Never before have
campaigns been so well financed -- the sight of politicians
spending inordinate amounts of money on private planes and
hotel rentals was unheard of. This money, the press warns,
could also be used to buy votes. Many Mauritanians regret

NOUAKCHOTT 00000451 002 OF 002


that presidential candidates have not spent more time and
effort developing their presidential platforms as opposed to
engaging in "shows of force."


5. (SBU) U.S. Electoral Support: The Embassy launched an
election awareness campaign July 11 through DoD MIST funding
to the local NGO NEDWA. The effort repeats the well-received
"Caravan of Hope" program fielded in the 2007 elections that
had a direct impact in getting out the vote and reducing the
percentage of spoiled ballots. Then, as now, the program
will visit provincial capitals with an entertainment and
information program giving candidate-neutral messages on the
importance and mechanics of voting. The program is backed up
by a series of radio and television spots. All products and
messages were developed in close cooperation with the
National Independent Electoral Commission.


6. (SBU) Logistical Challenges: In a July 12 meeting with
the Ministry of Interior's Secretary General and the
Ministry's election planning team, DCM was told that all the
election materials for the July 18 election were received the
evening of July 11 and are being distributed to district
offices now. DCM had come with the offer of logistical
support from a regionally-based AFRICOM plane. The Interior
officials said the offer was too late for the first electoral
round but that they would like to coordinate further for the
second round. The Secretary General highlighted the
difficulty of getting polling materials and personnel to some
of Mauritania's remote locations and asked whether the U.S.
could provide helicopters for that purpose (DCM regretted
that would not be possible). The Secretary General stressed
that his Ministry was under extreme political pressure to get
things right under an extremely tight timeline and with
significant funding gaps. He noted the Ministry had always
been able to tabulate and release results within 24 hours of
the election. With the logistical difficulties in this
round, he worried they might not make it this time which, he
added, "Will have everyone accusing us of trickery."


7. (C) Comment: The word of the day is "political
nomadism." Newspapers are brimming with press releases and
communiques from different tribal and interest groups across
the country publicly announcing their allegiance to
candidates. Many who had already promised their support to
Aziz for the June 6 election have shifted their support to
other candidates stating that "their word was good for June 6
but not for the upcoming election; then was then and now is
now." The campaign's intensity is increasing with
accusations and insults flying left and right and candidates
frantically traveling around the country to hold political
rallies and gather votes in the interior. Ely Vall has
distinguished himself for his more traditional politics -- he
has been busy visiting renowned regional religious figures,
known as cheikhs, to request their support and, as a result,
the votes of all these learned men's loyal followers.


8. (C) Comment continued: Newspapers and websites are
overflowing with polls attempting to guess which candidates
will go to the second round. Aziz' strongest critics suggest
Aziz will stage a first-round victory. They think Aziz, who
will not accept to be defeated, will conduct a "coup d'etat"
through the urns and commit massive fraud to ensure he is
elected on the first round. "He cannot afford to go to a
second round, compete against someone and loose," they argue.
These same people are convinced he will use military might
to control the opposition after his fraudulent win. Other
political analysts dismiss this possibility, stating it would
bring civil war to Mauritania and that nobody, including the
military, is willing to spill blood on behalf of Aziz. In
any case, today, barely six days before the elections,
everybody is afraid of Aziz's reaction if things do not go
the way he planned, whether it is on July 18 or on August 1.
End comment.
BOULWARE