Last August 6 happened to be a good day for a coup d’etat. Most international institutions were in a standby mode, with decision-makers out on their annual holidays and therefore difficult to reach. Moreover, the world media were focused on the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing on the other side of the globe.
Hopefully, this remains the only good calculation of the military leaders who on that date organized the coup in Mauritania that overthrew the regime of President Ould Abdallahi. History, however, is not on their side. Military takeovers have become a rare occurrence in Africa. The African Union swiftly condemned the action and demanded a return to constitutional government. Other international actors, including the Arab League, followed the same example. The international community should take measures to ensure that there is no hope for the Mauritanian military to receive a shred of recognition for what it has done.
This article was written for The Daily Star and can be downloaded below.
