Civil-Military Power Struggles: The Case of Mauritania

The case of Mauritania, which experienced a 2008 military coup that effectively ended a brief period of democracy, is used to examine whether it is possible for a civilian president to manage a pluralistic parliamentary democracy that includes populist Islamist parties while also engaging in counter...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current history (1941) 2009-05, Vol.108 (718), p.221-226
Main Author: Hochman, Dafna
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Al Qaeda
Armed Forces
Army
Civil-military relations
Corruption
Counterterrorism
Coups d'etat
Democracy
Democratization
Developing countries
Dilemmas
Freedom of the press
Islam
Judicial immunity
LDCs
Martial law
Mauritania
Military Civilian Relations
Minority & ethnic groups
Political campaigns
Political parties
Politics
Presidential elections
Religion Politics Relationship
Terrorism
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Summary:The case of Mauritania, which experienced a 2008 military coup that effectively ended a brief period of democracy, is used to examine whether it is possible for a civilian president to manage a pluralistic parliamentary democracy that includes populist Islamist parties while also engaging in counterterrorism under the scrutiny of a strong military. Discussion begins with a review of the 2005 coup that opened the way for Mauritania's democratization. Terrorism & corruption problems confronting democratically elected President Sidi Mohammed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi are described, along with an economic crisis & ensuing political crisis, setting the stage for another coup triggered by Abdallahi's sacking of General Mohamed Ould El Ghazouani as army chief of staff; underlying factors in the civilian-military showdown are identified as reflecting a structural dilemma common in many civilian governments in countries accustomed to military rule. In addition, counterterrorism efforts exacerbate military-civilian tensions as demonstrated with the Abdallahi government's clash with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which the military used as proof of the instability & ineffectiveness of multiparty democratization. How Mauritania might overcome this dilemma is considered in closing. D. Edelman
ISSN:0011-3530
1944-785X
DOI:10.1525/curh.2009.108.718.221