Mu'eya detention acts to suppress opposition
Mauritania, Politics, 5/8/2003

Calmly and away from media attention and reaction to the occupation of Iraq, there is a fierce campaign against the opposition forces in Mauritania which includes Islamists, Baathists, Nationalists, preachers at mosques and opposition leaderships for normalization with Israel.

Upon President George Bush gaining control on Iraq, The Mauritanian government, seemed to have had led a parallel campaign against political opposition forces. Some observers conclude that the president of Mauritania is using a golden opportunity provided by the American war against "terrorism" and on Iraq in order to rearrange his situation internally.

Within days, President Mu'aweya Wild Taye' silenced the Baath party, Islamic and spiritual leaders in a context of an onslaught making use of US war. This onslaught was coincided with the approaching Mauritanian Presidential elections in November this year.

President Taye' had known that revival al-Nouhoud party, which was desolved as remains of al-Teleya ( vanguard) Baathist party, had asked for licensing two years ago and is practicing its activities with the knowledge of the authorities, but he chose now in this critical regional and international political condition to move against it under pretext it did not receive a license. Its headquarters was sealed.

Mauritania's minister of religious affairs, Aslamo Weld Seidi al-Mustafa, threatened mosques which do not obey the president that they would be converted into "Bakeries."

Even the press and opposition forces of normalization with Israel were not out of damages. All these practices were justified by a general accusation on linking detainees to what the president called "extremist terrorist networks abroad" he did not specify.

The detainees included member of the blocs of the democratic forces, the Islamic leading figure Jamil Weld Mansour who opposes normalization with Israel; Sheikh Muhammad al-Hassan Weld al-Did who legalized Jihad against the Americans and defending Iraq. The leader of al-Nouhoud party Muhammad Abdullah Weld Aya, close to the Iraqi Baathists was arrested also. In addition to five members of the Vanguard party including the party's assistant secretary general.

Previous Stories:
  Three Baathist leaders detained in Mauritania   (5/2/2003)
  Mauritania holds presidential elections next November   (4/29/2003)
  Moroccan premier meets Mauritanian fisheries minister   (2/20/2003)

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