Comments on: Mauritania’s Bloodless Coup http://africa.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/08/07/mauritanias-bloodless-coup/ The largest network of international affairs blogs online Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:54:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.0 by: Derek Catsam http://africa.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/08/07/mauritanias-bloodless-coup/#comment-696 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:07:06 +0000 http://africa.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/08/07/mauritanias-bloodless-coup/#comment-696 Thanks for the insight. I have clarified my post, though I think the larger point about the disquieting nature of coups in general stands. Indeed your comments probably bolster my point. Thanks for reading and weighing in -- Derek Catsam Thanks for the insight. I have clarified my post, though I think the larger point about the disquieting nature of coups in general stands. Indeed your comments probably bolster my point.

Thanks for reading and weighing in –
Derek Catsam

]]> by: alle http://africa.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/08/07/mauritanias-bloodless-coup/#comment-684 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:52:53 +0000 http://africa.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/08/07/mauritanias-bloodless-coup/#comment-684 Pres. Abdellahi did not seize power in a coup. The Aug. 2005 coup deposed gen. Mouauia ould el-Tayaa, the dictator since 21 years, and Abdellahi was elected almost two years later, in a narrow vote which was only slightly fishy. It was deemed free and fair by observers and opposed by no country, and defeat was immediately accepted by the runner-up. No one claimed cheating. Like most Mauritanian politicians, Abdellahi is moderatly interested in democracy and more or less corrupt, but he was not -- not yet, at least -- a dictator or someone who rode into Nouakchott on a tank. Rather he was the country's first freely and fairly elected president ever, and that makes your enthusiasm for the junta's promise of future elections misplaced. They've already HAD elections, and Abdellahi was the guy who won. This coup promises new elections as a way of undoing that. Pres. Abdellahi did not seize power in a coup. The Aug. 2005 coup deposed gen. Mouauia ould el-Tayaa, the dictator since 21 years, and Abdellahi was elected almost two years later, in a narrow vote which was only slightly fishy. It was deemed free and fair by observers and opposed by no country, and defeat was immediately accepted by the runner-up. No one claimed cheating.

Like most Mauritanian politicians, Abdellahi is moderatly interested in democracy and more or less corrupt, but he was not — not yet, at least — a dictator or someone who rode into Nouakchott on a tank. Rather he was the country’s first freely and fairly elected president ever, and that makes your enthusiasm for the junta’s promise of future elections misplaced. They’ve already HAD elections, and Abdellahi was the guy who won. This coup promises new elections as a way of undoing that.

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