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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000770 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID KPAO CASC MR
SUBJECT: ARREST UPDATE 
 
REF: NOUAKCHOTT 764 
 
Classified By: Amb. Joseph LeBaron, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d) 
 
-------------- 
(C) Key Points 
-------------- 
 
-- As of 1700 hours, the streets remain calm, and the police 
continue to maintain their typical force levels.  The Embassy 
has discerned no threat to the Embassy, its personnel, or to 
the American community stemming from the arrests (reftel). 
 
-- The Military Council this morning ordered all military 
officers to remain on their bases until further notice.  The 
restriction, which does not apply to enlisted soldiers, is 
seen as a safeguard against potential officer-led actions 
against the Military Council. 
 
-- Last night's arrests appear not to have affected planning 
for the referendum this Sunday.  Public support appears to 
remain high for the Military Council and the coming 
elections.  The people we have talked to still plan to vote. 
 
-- The Embassy still plans to deploy its observation teams, 
sending between 20 and 25 Embassy officials out to observe 
the referendum, in close coordination with the UN Electoral 
Assistance Secretariat here. 
 
------------ 
(C) Comments 
------------ 
 
-- It is still too early to assess the impact this turn of 
events will have on the democratic transition underway here. 
This we do know: 
 
      (1) The alleged plotting is the most adverse political 
event to occur in Mauritania since the coup 10 months ago. 
 
      (2) The fragility of the democratization process here 
has increased.  The USG can -- and should -- expect to see 
further such challenges to that process, both before and 
after the presidential elections scheduled for March 2007. 
 
      (3) The arrests of alleged plotters closely associated 
with ousted President Taya almost certainly reveal a steadily 
escalating struggle among White Moor tribes, clans, and 
families over political power and access to Mauritania's 
gathering oil wealth.  We expect that struggle to intensify. 
 
-- Ambassador and other Embassy officials have been actively 
reaching out today to Mauritanians to counsel continued 
commitment to the series of free and fair elections the 
Mauritanians themselves have set (see septel on Ambassador's 
meeting with six political parties).  Our outreach will 
continue. 
 
End Key Points and Comments. 
 
¶1. (C) The Embassy has continued meeting with civilian and 
military officials in an effort to get more information 
regarding last nights arrests of high ranking military 
officers and civilians associated with former President Taya 
(reftel), and to encourage Mauritanians to continue their 
commitment to democratization.  While some new information 
has been learned, officials are tightlipped, and much remains 
unknown. 
 
------------------- 
CONFLICTING REPORTS 
------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) According to both civilian (police and security) and 
military officials, Colonel Sid Mohamed Ould Vaida, Colonel 
Abderrahmane Ould Lekwar, Mini Ould Lekwar, and Mohamed Ould 
Mohamed Aly have been arrested (see reftel for their 
descriptions).  However, officials disagree on the additional 
arrests. 
 
¶3. (C) Civilian officials say that no other arrests have 
taken place, while military officials say that Colonel 
 
NOUAKCHOTT 00000770  002 OF 002 
 
 
Chrouf, Colonel Riha, and General Boukhreiss and his son were 
also arrested.  (Note: Officials indicated that the arrests 
of military personnel were conducted by the Gendarmerie, 
while civilians were arrested by the National Police.  If 
true, such a split may account for the conflicting reports of 
those arrested.) 
 
¶4. (C) Rumors continue to circulate that influential business 
leaders have been arrested as well, but there has been no 
confirmation of such arrests. 
 
---------------------- 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 
---------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) According to military officials, the Military Council 
this morning ordered all military officers to remain on their 
bases until further notice.  The restriction, which does not 
apply to enlisted soldiers, is seen as a safeguard against 
potential officer-led actions against the Military Council. 
 
---------------- 
Political Impact 
---------------- 
 
¶6. (C) At present, it does not appear that last night's 
arrests will affect the constitutional referendum this 
Sunday.  Mauritanians have told Embassy staff that they 
continue to plan to vote, and that these events are more a 
matter of the Military Council "cleaning up" some of Taya's 
old supporters that were "planning something."  The Embassy 
plans to continue its observation mission.  Embassy will send 
between 20 and 25 Embassy officials out to observe the 
referendum vote June 25. 
 
¶7. (C) In response to rumors that last night's event's were 
related to an effort by those arrested to negatively 
influence the vote against the referendum, PolOff attempted 
to contact the four political parties in the "Bloc for 
Change" party coalition, which had planned to boycott the 
election (the only coalition to take such a stand).  PolOff 
was unable to reach anyone in any of the parties for comment. 
 (Note: This is the first time PolOff has been unable to 
contact a Bloc for Change member in more than six months of 
regular contact.) 
 
-------------- 
LOCAL REACTION 
-------------- 
 
¶8. (C) Available information concerning the arrests is still 
quite scarce and the public has thus far reacted only to the 
rumors, which range from a handful of arrests to the 
government having put down an actual coup attempt.  In either 
case, the public appears to continue its support for the 
Military Council and for the coming elections. 
 
¶9. (U) According to a Reuters report, a Military Council 
spokesman, Sidi Ould Domane, said "a group of people 
nostalgic for the past are trying to impede the process of 
democratization the old way.  They want to sabotage Sunday's 
referendum." 
 
¶10. (C) Local speculation about the events focus primarily on 
supporters of former president Taya who are either trying to 
overthrow the current government (to allow for Taya's return) 
or disrupt the referendum to discredit the current 
government. 
 
-------- 
SECURITY 
-------- 
 
¶11. (C) As of 17:00 local, the streets remain calm, and the 
police continue to maintain their typical force levels.  The 
Embassy has discerned no threat to the Embassy, its 
personnel, or to the American community stemming from the 
arrests. 
LeBaron