Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya

Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Ould 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, Ould Taya studied at Franco-Arab school and then French military school. He participated in the Western Sahara War against the Polisario Front. Ould 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.