On this day, August 9th, in 2004, the president of Mauritania ordered the arrest of several “Islamic extremists” and sympathizing military officers for plotting a coup against his government.

President Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya had good reason to be vigilant.  In his former role as head of the military, he had been involved in plotting and carrying out the successful coups of 1978 and 1984. And after his ascent to the presidency in 1997 (amidst claims of massive voting fraud), there was a coup attempt in June 2003, financed and supported by Libya, that was put down only after two days of fighting in the capital city of Nouakchott.

In the alleged coup attempt of August 2004, critics claimed it was only a pretext for cracking down on political rivals.  But president Taya was vindicated a year later when, while he was on a trip to Saudi Arabia in August 2005, he was overthrown in a coup d’état.  This was followed by a coup d’état in August 2008.

Mauritania is on the northwest corner of Africa, and is over 99% Muslim, mostly Sunni.  Some of it’s neighbors are: Senegal, which had to cancel its famed Dakar Rally for the first time in 2008 due to fears of “Muslim extremist” attacks;  Algeria, which had to annul its elections in 1991 when “Muslim extremists” were about to be voted into power; and the failed state of Western Sahara.

Just as in Sudan, the Mauritanian government has a history of discrimination against blacks, both Muslim and non-Muslim, by the ruling Arab Muslims.  It has a per capita income of $2,400.
 

Previous Days in the "Religion of Peace™":

Aug 8: Fall of Mazar-i Sharif

Aug 7: Gallipoli: Chunuk Bair

Aug 6: Benazir Bhutto Resigns

Aug 5: Iran Rejects Nuclear Offer

Aug 4: Uganda Expels Asians