Mauritania severs relations with Iraq

The government of Mauritania on Thursday announced that it has decided to sever its diplomatic relations with Iraq, accusing Baghdad of preparing for "acts of destruction" in its territories after raising the level of diplomatic representation between Nouakchott and Tel Aviv into the ambassadorial level.

The Mauritania's News agency reported that the Iraqi charge de affairs in Nouakchott was told the decision taken by Mauritania.

The crisis has been escalated between the two countries following the Iraqi criticism to the government of Mauritania for establishing full diplomatic relations with Israel, after which Nouakchott summoned its ambassador from Baghdad.

Mauritania was among the few countries which backed Baghdad in the Gulf war in 1991. Later it adopted a different attitude when it expelled the Iraqi ambassador in 1995 after accusing him in interfering in its internal affairs.