The 1979 Mauritanian coup d'état was a military coup in Mauritania which took place on 6 April 1979.[1] The coup was led by Colonel Ahmed Ould Bouceif and Colonel Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, who seized power from the President, Colonel Mustafa Ould Salek, and the 20-member ruling Military Committee for National Recovery (CMRN), a military junta which was created following an earlier coup in 1978.
| Date | 6 April 1979 |
|---|---|
| Location | Nouakchott, Mauritania |
| Type | Military coup |
| Motive | Regime change |
| Target | Presidential Palace, Nouakchott |
| Organised by | Ahmed Ould Bouceif Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla |
| Participants | Faction within the Armed Forces |
| Outcome | Coup succeeds
|
The coup resulted in the dismissal of the CMRN and the formation of the 24-member Military Committee for National Salvation (CMSN), a new junta initially under the presidency of Salek as a figurehead, until his official resignation on 3 June.[2][3] He was succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Louly.[2] Bouceif was appointed prime minister, and served until his death in an airplane crash in Senegal on 27 May.[4] He was succeeded by Haidalla on 31 May.[5]
References
edit- ^ Robert E. Handloff. "DOWNFALL OF OULD SALEK". Mauritania: A Country Study. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Mauritanian President Resigns 11 Months After Coup". The New York Times. 4 June 1979. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
- ^ "Mauritanian President Quits". Washington Post. 22 December 2023. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ "The Death of Mauritania's Prime Minister Last Week Added Uncertainty". The New York Times. 3 June 1979. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
- ^ "Mauritania: The Haidalla Regime", Library of Congress Country Studies
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