Ex-Mauritanian president faces human rights charges; may go to Qatar
Mauritania-Qatar, Politics, 8/17/2005

An official in Gambia said on Tuesday that the toppled Mauritanian President Mu'aweya Weld Seidi Ahmad al-Taye will leave the capital of Bangul within three days heading to Qatar.

The official explained that Qatar proposed to host al-Taye, but this news was not officially confirmed in Doha nor in Nouakchott.

Earlier, Mauritanian and Gulf media sources said that the Gambian government notified Weld al-Taye officially that his presence in this country is embarrassing for it and it feared that it would effect the future of its relations with Mauritania.

This came at a time when legal organizations in Mauritania and Europe are trying to file judicial cases against Weld al-Taye under the charges of violating human rights and practicing torture against political prisoners, and corruption during his rule which lasted for 21 years.

Such accusations forces a bar on the visit of the toppled Mauritanian President from visiting Senegal and other several European states.

Human rights activists and Mauritanian opposition leaderships demanded the trial of Weld al-Taye the same as Lt. gen. Ali Weld al-Dada who was tried in France after Mauritanian opposition figures filed judicial cases against him.

Certain observers consider that Weld al-Tayer's resort to Qatar means that he is convinced that it is not possible for him to return back to authority after he used all available means to achieve that.

Weld al-Taye was toppled in August 3 in a peaceful coupe. A military council led by col. Ali Weld Muhammad Faal took over in Mauritania. Faal promised to make elections within two years and an interim civilian government was formed with the majority of its members are technocrats led by former Mauritania's ambassador in France Seidi Muhammad Weld Bubaker.

Previous Stories:
  Mauritania opposition gives up armed struggle   (8/16/2005)
  Mauritania opposition calls for trying al-Taye   (8/12/2005)
  New Mauritania government, engineer of normalization with Israel is foreign minister   (8/11/2005)
  Qatar, Mauritania sign several important agreements   (12/26/2003)

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