Africa Archives

Moktar Ould Daddah and Western Sahara, the reasons for a putsch (5&6)

The President of Mauritania Moktar ould Daddah (left), welcomed by Modibo Keita (right), President of Mali during his official visit for the Treaty of Kayes, February 16, 1963. © AFP

By: Alain Foka Follow

On November 14, 1975, Mauritanian President Moktar Ould Daddah signed the Madrid Accords on the partition of Western Sahara.

The pact grants him the south of the territory while Morocco annexes the northern part.

But Algeria, excluded from this division, does not see it that way and declares war on Mauritania.

It carries out commando operations there and arms the Polisario front, the rebels of Western Sahara.

Advertising

The power of Moktar Ould Daddah is beginning to show some signs of weakness in the face of the dizzying cost of war.

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_EN

  • Mauritania

  • Story

On the same subject

Africa Archives

Moktar Ould Daddah, the birth of the Mauritanian state (1&2)

Africa Archives

Moktar Ould Daddah, the difficult national unity (3&4)

Guest Africa

Mohamed Aly Chérif: "In Mauritania, Mokhtar Ould Daddah was a man of consensus"