While the ongoing coup attempt in Liberia is receiving some scant attention, there was another in Mauritania. It is one of the 30 poorest countries in the world and rarely receives any attention other than when on a jumbled list of countries someone donated to blindly in order to feel good.
There are some very interesting dynamics in this country. Because it is so often ignored it provides a fertile ground for quiet experimentation. This article roughly alludes to a few of these aspects:
Anti-Western forces behind Mauritania coup attempt?](http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/sept11/dailyUpdate.html)
AllAfrica.com reports Monday afternoon that Mauritanian President Maaouiya Sid Ahmed Ould Taya took to the airwaves on to praise loyal army units for defeating a coup attempt which led to two days of heavy fighting in the capital. Mauritania is in Western Africa and is one of the 30 poorest countries in the world. Several media reports say a pro-Baathist colonel, who was dismissed last year in a crackdown on Islamic extremists, led the coup attempt. Mr. Taya had reportedly fled his palace during the fighting and taken refugee in the French embassy but government officials denied this.
Although the coup attempt appears to have failed, the reasons behind it will be of interest to many. Reuters reports that Mr. Taya, an observant Muslim (as are most of the inhabitants of his country), had at one time been a strong supporter of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. But after the first Gulf War, he dropped his support for Mr. Hussein, and did an 180 degree turn, becoming one of the three Arab nations in the Middle East to recognize Israel. The Washington Post reports that Taya also began a very unpopular crackdown on extremist Muslims after the 9/11 attacks in the US, both in the military and in civilian society.
The BBC reports that last month, two ministers were sacked and several people arrested on suspicion of having links to Islamist groups. The new minister of Islamic affairs then issued a public warning against “ignorant extremists trying to control mosques through terror.”
Albawaba.com reports that the strong ties with Israel may be the greatest motivator for rebel fighters. Economic cooperation between the two countries is now extensive, and diplomatic sources say that Israel also provides Taya’s government with security help. The BBC quotes a spokesman for the anti-slavery group SOS Slaves as saying that any change of government would be good if it helped end slavery. SOS Slaves says there are several thousand people being forced into slavery in the African nation.