The 1978 Mauritanian coup d'état was a bloodless military coup in Mauritania which took place on 10 July 1978.[1][2] The coup, led by the Army Chief of Staff, Colonel Mustafa Ould Salek, who commanded a group of junior officers, overthrew President Moktar Ould Daddah, who ruled the country since independence from France in 1960.[3]
 | |
| Date | 10 July 1978 |
|---|---|
| Location | Nouakchott, Mauritania |
| Type | Military coup |
| Cause | Participation of Mauritania in the Western Sahara War |
| Motive | Regime change |
| Target | Presidential Palace, Nouakchott |
| Organised by | Mustafa Ould Salek |
| Participants | Faction within the Armed Forces |
| Outcome | Coup succeeds
|
The main motive for the coup was Daddah's ill-fated participation in the Western Sahara War (from 1975 onwards) and the resulting ruin of the economy of Mauritania.[4] Following the coup, Salek had assumed the presidency of a newly formed military junta, the 20-member Military Committee for National Recovery (CMRN).[1][5]
Reports from the capital Nouakchott said no shooting had been heard in the city, and no casualties had been announced.[1]
After a period of imprisonment, Ould Daddah was allowed to go into exile in France in August 1979, and was allowed to return to Mauritania on 17 July 2001.[6]
References
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- ^ a b c "Military Takes Over in Mauritania With a Reportedly Bloodless Coup". The New York Times. 11 July 1978. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- ^ "Mauritania Regime Held Pro-Western". The New York Times. 12 July 1978. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- ^ "Mauritanian President Overthrown in Military Coup". Washington Post. 21 December 2023. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ Robert E. Handloff. "Mauritania: Government". Mauritania: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1988. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "موقع" موريتانيد"". Archived from the original on 20 December 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
- ^ "Ousted Mauritanian president returns home". BBC. 18 July 2001. Retrieved 22 May 2020.