The 2003 Mauritanian coup d'état attempt was a violent

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

coup attempt in

Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...

which took place on 8–9 June 2003. The coup attempt, led by Major

Saleh Ould Hanenna Saleh Ould Hanenna (born on September 20, 1965) is a former Mauritanian soldier and political figure. Saleh Ould Hanenna served in the Mauritanian Army and rose to the rank of Major before being officially dismissed in 2000. In June 2003, h ...

who commanded a rebel section of the Army, resulted in two days of heavy fighting in the capital

Nouakchott Nouakchott ( ) is the capital and largest city of Mauritania. Located in the southwestern part of the country, it is one of the largest cities in the Sahara. The city also serves as the administrative and economic center of Mauritania. Once a ...

, before rebel soldiers were defeated by troops loyal to the President, Colonel

Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya Mu'awiya Ould Sid'Ahmed al-Taya (born 28 November 1941) is a Mauritanian military officer and politician who served as the President of Mauritania from 1984 to 2005. He also served as the fifth Prime minister of Mauritania from 1981 to 19 ...

. Taya subsequently won the 7 November 2003 presidential election with over 67% of the popular vote,Elections in Mauritania
African Elections Database. amid opposition claims of

electoral fraud Electoral fraud, sometimes referred to as election manipulation, voter fraud, or vote rigging, involves illegal interference with the process of an election, either by increasing the vote share of a favored candidate, depressing the vote share o ...

; the second-place candidate and former head of state ( CMSN chairman), Colonel

Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla Colonel Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla ( ''Muḥammad Khouna Wald Haidalla''; born 1940) is a Mauritanian former military officer and politician who served as the head of state of Mauritania from 4 January 1980 to 12 December 1984. He was an ...

, was arrested both immediately before and after the election, and was accused of plotting a coup. Hanenna initially escaped capture, and announced the formation of a rebel group called the 'Knights of Change', but was eventually captured in late 2004, and sentenced to

life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence (law), sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life impr ...

(instead of recommended

death sentence Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...

) along with other alleged plotters in early 2005. Following the 2005 coup d'état, which deposed Taya, Hannena was released in an

amnesty Amnesty () is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power officially forgiving certain classes of people who are subject to trial but have not yet be ...

declared by the new

military junta A military junta () is a system of government led by a committee of military leaders. The term ''Junta (governing body), junta'' means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the Junta (Peninsular War), national and local junta organized by t ...

, the Military Council for Justice and Democracy (CMJD)."MAURITANIA: Junta declares general amnesty for political prisoners"
IRIN, September 5, 2005.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2003 Mauritanian coup d'etat attempt Mauritanian coup d'état attempt Coup attempt Mauritanian coup d'état attempt Mauritanian coup d'état attempt Attempted coups d'état in Mauritania