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 1992 except for a brief period in 1984.
Born in Atar, French West Africa, al-Taya studied at Franco-Arab school and then French military school. He participated in the Western Sahara War against the Polisario Front. Al-Taya was appointed Chief of the Army staff in July 1980 and then as Prime minister in April 1981 after an unsuccessful coup attempt against Mohamed Haidalla.
Having come to power through a bloodless military coup, he won the 2003 elections and was ousted by a military coup in 2005. During his presidency, he pursued policies of Arab nationalism and deepening ties with the United States. He established close relations with Saddam Hussein of Iraq and had a pro-Iraqi stance on the Gulf War. Mu'awiya al-Taya himself is sometimes termed "Saddam Hussein of Africa".
Early life and education
Mu'awiya Ould Sidi Ahmed al-Taya was born on 28 November 1941 in
Atar, then part of
French Mauritania. Al-Taya attended a Franco-Arabic Primary School from 1949 to 1955. He then attended
Rosso
Rosso is the major city of south-western Mauritania and capital of Trarza Region, Trarza region. It is situated on the Senegal River at the head of the river zone allowing year-round navigation.
The town is 204 km south of the capital Nouakc ...
High School in southern Mauritania. After graduation, he attended a French military school in 1960 and graduated as an officer the next year. In 1975, he received strategic training at the French war academy.
In 1978, the
Mauritanian Army overthrew
Moktar Ould Daddah
Moktar Ould Daddah (; December 25, 1924 – October 14, 2003) was a Mauritanian politician who served as the country's first President after it gained its independence from France. Moktar served as the country's first List of prime ministers of Ma ...
, the first
President of Mauritania, in an attempt to forestall government collapse in the
war
War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
over
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a territorial dispute, disputed territory in Maghreb, North-western Africa. It has a surface area of . Approximately 30% of the territory () is controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the remaining 70% is ...
against the
Polisario Front
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro (Spanish language, Spanish: ; ), better known by its acronym Polisario Front, is a Sahrawi nationalism, Sahrawi nationalist liberation movement seeking to end the occupatio ...
. Al-Taya was among the conspirators, and quickly gained influence within the government.
Presidency (1984–2005)
After holding various positions in the military, al-Taya was appointed Chief of Staff of the Army in July 1980, during the rule of military head of state
Mohamed Haidalla.
In the aftermath of a
failed coup against Haidalla in March 1981, al-Taya was appointed Prime minister on 25 April 1981, replacing civilian Prime minister
Sid'Ahmed Ould Bneijara. He held this office until 8 March 1984, when Haidalla, who was still head of state, took over the post.
On 12 December 1984, while Haidalla was out of the country, al-Taya seized power and declared himself Chairman of the
Military Committee for National Salvation
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 ...
(CMSN).
In October 1987, al-Taya's military government allegedly uncovered a tentative coup d'état by a group of black army officers, backed, according to the authorities, by
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
. Several officers were arrested, interrogated, and possibly tortured, leading to the acquittal of only seven.
Mauritania–Senegal border conflict

The discord between conflicting visions of Mauritanian society as either black or
Arab
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world.
Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
again rose to the surface during the intercommunal violence that broke out in April 1989. This tension grew when the Mauritania–Senegal border dispute escalated into violence between the two nations.
Even before the war, al-Taya and
Abdou Diouf, president of Senegal at the time, had been engaged in a dispute after the completion of dams on the Senegal River. Al-Taya argued that Senegalese representatives in the OMVS had refused to create river harbors during construction, diminishing Mauritania's ability to exploit phosphate deposits.
Heightened ethnic tensions created an additional catalyst for the
Mauritania–Senegal border conflict, which started as a result of a conflict in Diawara between Moorish Mauritanian herders and Senegalese farmers over grazing rights. The border between Senegal and Mauritania was then closed, and the two nations ended diplomatic ties with each other.
As the war continued, some
Fula and
Soninke people were arrested and executed. Al-Taya's government initiated a military investigation before implementing a law of amnesty.
In July 1991, presidents Diouf and al-Taya reached an agreement to end hostilities. On 18 July, Senegal and Mauritania signed a
Peace treaty
A peace treaty is an treaty, agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually country, countries or governments, which formally ends a declaration of war, state of war between the parties. It is different from an armistice, which is an ag ...
, ending the Mauritania–Senegal border conflict, and on 2 May 1992, the
borders reopened to all civilians.
Arab nationalism and foreign policy
the late 1980s, al-Taya had established close co-operation with
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
, and pursued a strongly Arab nationalist line. Mauritania grew increasingly isolated internationally, and tensions with Western countries grew dramatically after it took a pro-Iraqi position during the
Gulf War
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, although he had received
French support and aid in 1984-1987.
Transition to democracy and multi-party system
Al-Taya's regime began a transition to civilian,
multiparty government in 1991; a new Constitution was approved by
referendum
A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...
in July.
The first multiparty
presidential elections
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The ...
were held in January 1992. Al-Taya, as candidate of the newly formed
Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS), received nearly 63% of the vote,
[Elections in Mauritania](_blank)
African Elections Database. amid opposition claims of serious irregularities and fraud. He won slightly more than 90% of the vote in the following 12 December 1997
presidential election, which was boycotted by major opposition
political parties
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...
;
anticipating fraud, they said that this would make their participation "futile".
Last years in office
The last years of al-Taya's rule were marred by unrest within the military and hostility between the regime and the country's
Islamists. Al-Taya moved away from his initial support of the
Iraqi regime of
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...
at the time of the Gulf War, and moved towards the West.
On 28 October 1999, Mauritania joined Egypt, Palestine, and Jordan as the fourth member of the
Arab League
The Arab League (, ' ), officially the League of Arab States (, '), is a regional organization in the Arab world. The Arab League was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945, initially with seven members: Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt, Kingdom of Iraq, ...
to officially recognize
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
. By doing so, al-Taya formally ended a
declared war on Israel that dated from the
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...
of June 1967.
During his administration, al-Taya also began co-operating with the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
in
anti-terrorism
Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and intelligence agencies use to co ...
activities, a policy that was criticized by some human rights organizations. Increasing ties with Israel and the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
served to deepen the opposition to his rule.
In June 2003, al-Taya's government survived
a coup attempt, defeating rebel soldiers after 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 ...
; the coup leader,
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 ...
, initially escaped capture. Ould Hanenna announced the formation of a rebel group called "the Knights of Change" but was eventually captured in October 2004 and sentenced to life in prison along with other alleged plotters in early 2005. On 7 November 2003
a presidential election was held, which was won by al-Taya with over 67% of the popular vote.
The opposition again denounced the result as fraudulent; the second-place candidate, former ruler Ould Haidalla, was arrested both immediately before and after the election, and was accused of plotting a coup. In August 2004, the government arrested more alleged coup plotters, who it said had planned to overthrow al-Taya when he took a planned trip to
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
; some, however, doubted the existence of this plot and suspected that it was a pretext for a crackdown. In late September, the government claimed to have thwarted yet another plot to oust al-Taya.
Anticipating an increase in government revenue through the exploitation of natural resources, particularly offshore oil deposits, al-Taya announced an increase in pay for the civil service and pensions in November 2004.
Overthrow and exile
While al-Taya was out of the country for the funeral of King
Fahd of Saudi Arabia in early August 2005, soldiers seized government buildings and the state media. The group, which identified itself as the
Military Council for Justice and Democracy (CMJD), announced a
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup
, is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
in a statement run by the state news agency on 3 August: "The armed forces and security forces have unanimously decided to put an end to the totalitarian practices of the deposed regime under which our people have suffered much over the last several years."
The new
military dictatorship
A military dictatorship, or a military regime, is a type of dictatorship in which Power (social and political), power is held by one or more military officers. Military dictatorships are led by either a single military dictator, known as a Polit ...
said it would remain in power for a maximum of two years to allow time for democratic institutions to be implemented. The Military Council for Justice and Democracy named
Col. Ely Ould Mohamed Vall
Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall ( ''I‘lī Wald Muḥammad Fāl''; 1953 – 5 May 2017) was a Mauritanian political and military figure. Following a coup d'état in August 2005, he served as the transitional military leader of Mauritania unti ...
, a top associate of al-Taya for many years, as its head.
["New military rulers face worldwide condemnation"](_blank)
IRIN, 4 August 2005. 
Al-Taya, on his way back from Fahd's funeral, landed in
Niamey
Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. As the Niamey Urban Community (, CUN), it is a Regions of Niger, first-level division of Niger, surrounded by the Tillabéri Region, in the western part of the country. Niamey lies on the Nige ...
, the capital of
Niger
Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...
.
He met Niger's president
Mamadou Tandja
Mamadou Tandja (1938 – 24 November 2020) was a Nigerien politician who was List of heads of state of Niger, President of Niger from 1999 to 2010. He was President of the National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD) from 1991 to 1999 ...
before going to a villa in Niamey. Speaking to
Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale, usually referred to as RFI, is the State media, state-owned international radio news network of France. With 59.5 million listeners in 2022, it is one of the most-listened-to international radio stations in the world ...
on 5 August, al-Taya condemned the coup, saying that there had "never been a more senseless coup in Africa" and that it reminded him of the adage "God save me from my friends, I'll take care of my enemies".
["Junta outlines plans for new democracy as ousted president vows to return home"](_blank)
IRIN, 8 August 2005.
On 8 August, he unsuccessfully attempted to order the Armed forces to restore him to power.
[Hademine Ould Sadi]
"Military rulers in Mauritania win AU backing"
, Middle East Online, 10 August 2005. Broad support for the coup appeared to exist across the country; al-Taya's own party, PRDS, abandoned him a few days after the coup by endorsing the new regime's transitional plan.
International reaction to al-Taya's overthrow was initially strongly hostile, including the suspension of Mauritania from the
African Union
The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...
, but after several days the new rulers were apparently diplomatically successful in winning tacit international acceptance of their transitional regime. The United States in particular at first called for al-Taya to be restored to power but subsequently backed away from this.
After presidency
He left Niger for
Banjul
Banjul (, (US) and ), officially the City of Banjul, is the capital city of The Gambia. It is the centre of the eponymous administrative division which is home to an estimated 400,000 residents, making it The Gambia's largest and most densely ...
,
Gambia
The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...
, on 9 August 2005.
After nearly two weeks there, he and his family flew to
Qatar
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
, where they arrived on 22 August.
In April 2006, Vall said that al-Taya could return home as a free citizen, but would not be allowed to take part in the elections that were to mark the end of the transition because, Vall said, his participation could disrupt the transitional process; however, Vall said that he would be able to return to politics after the completion of the transition.
In the
March 2007 presidential election, al-Taya is said to have favored former Central Bank Governor
Zeine Ould Zeidane.
In late 2013, al-Taya was appointed a teacher at the Ahmed Bin Mohammad Military School, a military academy in
Qatar
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
.
Notes
References
Sources
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taya, Maaouya Oul Sid'Ahmed
1941 births
Living people
People from Adrar region
Mauritanian Sunni Muslims
Leaders who took power by coup
Leaders ousted by a coup
Mauritanian military personnel
20th-century Mauritanian politicians
21st-century Mauritanian politicians
Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal politicians
Heads of state of Mauritania
Prime ministers of Mauritania