The 1981 Mauritanian coup attempt was a violent coup attempt in Mauritania which took place on 16 March 1981.[1]
 | |
| Date | 16 March 1981 |
|---|---|
| Location | Nouakchott, Mauritania |
| Type | Military coup |
| Motive | Regime change |
| Target | Presidential Palace, Nouakchott |
| Organised by | Ahmed Salim Ould Sidi Mohamed Abdelkader |
| Participants | Faction within the Armed Forces / AMD movement |
| Outcome | Coup fails
|
The coup attempt, staged by elements of the military and opposition Alliance for a Democratic Mauritania (AMD) movement, was led by Lieutenant-Colonel Ahmed Salim Ould Sidi and Lieutenant-Colonel Mohamed Abdelkader, and resulted in heavy fighting in the capital Nouakchott, before conspirators were defeated by troops loyal to the Head of State (CMSN chairman), Colonel Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla.[2]
Abdelkader (former Air Force commander) was killed in the fighting, while Sidi (former CMSN Vice-chairman) was subsequently executed.
On 25 April, Haidalla and the CMSN decided to replace the fledgling civilian government of Sid'Ahmed Ould Bneijara (appointed on 12 December 1980)[3] with a six-member military government headed by Colonel Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya.[3][4]
References
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- ^ "MAURITANIA REPORTS IT HAS FOILED AN ATTEMPTED COUP BY 2 EXILES", New York Times, March 17, 1981.
- ^ "LA TENTATIVE DE PUTSCH DE NOUAKCHOTT Le chef de l'État rejette le recours en grâce des quatre officiers condamnés à mort". Le Monde.fr (in French). 26 March 1981. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Mauritania: The Haidalla Regime", Library of Congress Country Studies
- ^ "Career Soldier Takes Over As Premier of Mauritania", New York Times, April 27, 1981.