Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya
From Open Encyclopedia
Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya (Arabic: <onlyinclude>معاوية ولد سيد أحمد الطايع</onlyinclude>) (b. 1941), also transliterated as Mu'awiya walad Sayyidi Ahmad Taya, was president of Mauritania from 1984 to 2005.
Contents |
Early Years
Born in the town of Atar (Adrar Region), Ould Taya attended a Franco-Arabic Primary School from 1949 to 1955. He then attended Rosso High School in southern Mauritania. After graduation, he attended a French military school in 1960 and graduated as an officer. In 1975, he received strategic training at the French War Academy. In 1978 the Mauritanian army seized power and ousted President Moktar Ould Daddah, in an attempt to forestall government collapse in the war over Western Sahara against the Polisario Front (1975-79). Ould Taya was among the conspirators, and quickly gained influence within the government.
President of Mauritania
After holding various positions in the military, Ould Taya was appointed Chief of Staff of the Army in January 1981. He then served as Prime Minister from 25 April 1981 to 8 March 1984, when the country was ruled by the military. He deposed the military head of state, Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, on 12 December 1984 and declared himself Chairman of the Military Committee for National Salvation.
The Ould Taya government continued to, in the tradition of previous governments, to favor the White Moorish community in Mauritania. Black Moors and Black Africans were discriminated against, and political unrest in the non-Arab south put down with military means.
Following a period of political liberalization, the first multiparty presidential elections were held in 1992. Ould Taya, candidate of the newly formed Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS), received 62.8% of the vote amid opposition claims of serious irregularities and fraud. He won over 90% of the vote in a 1997 presidential election that was boycotted by major opposition political parties.
Political instability
The last years of Ould Taya's rule were marred by political unrest, both that initiated by opponents in the military, and increasing Islamist attacks on the government. Ould Taya's harsh response to the religious opposition triggered criticisms from abroad.
In June 2003 Ould Taya's government survived a coup attempt. On 7 November new elections were held, which were won by Ould Taya with 67.02% of the vote. The opposition again denounced the result as fraudulent. Ould Taya quelled another coup attempt on the eve of a planned trip to France in August 2004.
Fall from power
While Ould Taya was out of the country for the funeral of Saudi king Fahd in early August 2005, soldiers seized government buildings and the state media. [1] The group, which identified itself as the Military Council for Justice and Democracy, announced a coup d'êtat in a statement run by the state news agency on August 3:
- The armed forces and security forces have unanimously decided to put an end to the totalitarian practices of the deposed regime under which our people have suffered much over the last several years.
The new military dictatorship said it would remain in power for two years to allow time for democratic institutions to be implemented. The Military Council for Justice and Democracy has named Col. Ely Ould Mohamed Vall as the new President of Mauritania.
Just after the coup Ould Taya flew to Niger's capital, Niamey. He met Niger's president Mamadou Tandja before travelling on to a villa in Niamey. Ould Taya left Niger for Banjul, Gambia on August 9. He and his family then flew to Qatar on August 22.
| Preceded by: {{{before}}}}|before=Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla}} | {{{title}}}{{{else{{{test|}}}|{{{test{{{test|}}}|{{{then|}}}}}}}}}}|then= Representative for {{{district}}}|else=}}{{{else{{{test|}}}|{{{test{{{test|}}}|{{{then|}}}}}}}}}}|then= {{{years}}}|else=}}{{{else{{{test|}}}|{{{test{{{test|}}}|{{{then|}}}}}}}}}}|then= with {{{regent1}}}|else=}} {{{else{{{test|}}}|{{{test{{{test|}}}|{{{then|}}}}}}}}}}|then= ({{{years1}}})|else=}}{{{else{{{test|}}}|{{{test{{{test|}}}|{{{then|}}}}}}}}}}|then= {{{regent2}}}|else=}} {{{else{{{test|}}}|{{{test{{{test|}}}|{{{then|}}}}}}}}}}|then= ({{{years2}}})|else=}}{{{else{{{test|}}}|{{{test{{{test|}}}|{{{then|}}}}}}}}}}|then= {{{regent3}}}|else=}} {{{else{{{test|}}}|{{{test{{{test|}}}|{{{then|}}}}}}}}}}|then= ({{{years3}}})|else=}}{{{else{{{test|}}}|{{{test{{{test|}}}|{{{then|}}}}}}}}}}|then= Served alongside: {{{alongside}}}|else=}}}|title=President of Mauritania|years=1984–2005}} | Succeeded by: {{{after}}} |
de:Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya es:Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya fr:Maaouiya Ould Taya gl:Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya - معاوية ولد سيد أحمد الطايع he:מאויה עלד סידאחמד טאיה id:Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya ja:マーウイヤ・ウルド・シディ・アハメド・タヤ nn:Maaouya Ould Taya no:Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya pl:Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya sv:Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya
