Mauritania

February 25 Update

Hundreds protesting turned into thousands today in the Mauritania capital Nouakchott, as people answered the call put out on facebook. Police removed the initial hundreds from Blocat Square and arrested one early on Saturday, only to have thousands return. The facebook page states the goal is to "achieve democracy and justice in our country." Discrimination between the poor non-Arab population and the richer Arab citizens is an issue, as is the military rule from a prime Minister, Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf, who came to power through a "coup d'etat". In response to the threatened protests, the prime minister had promised that the government would soon create 17,000 jobs, develop new infrastructure projects and boost local food production capacity to tackle spikes in prices.

The protesters have promised to continue until their demands are met.

February 23

From the AnonNews site:

Aziz isn't stronger than Ben Ali, Moubarak or Kadafi!

We are not weaker than the young people from Tunisia, Egypt or Libya.

Send text-messages to all your friends!

The 25th of Februari at 12:00 o'clock.

Place: The court blocks - NOUAKCHOTT

Objective: To overthrow Aziz.

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is the ruthless dictator of Mauritania, who acquired power through a "coup d'etat" on the 6th of August 2008, and established himself as leader without any democratic measures taken.

Image credit: Facebook page.

"The lesson from what's happening in Tunisia is that (Arab leaders) won't be able to hide any more behind the Islamist threat argument."

-Amel Boubekeur

If Tunisians are protesting for freedom, not religion, what role did Wikileaks and online social networks play in mobilizing Arab populations to throw off the shackles of authoritarian, repressive, and corrupt regimes? Are our western institutions responsible for the waves of protest threatening to drown capitals in the Middle East?.

A Mauritanian man set himself on fire today in an anti-government protest.

Yacoub Ould Dahoud, 42, stopped his car in front of the Senate, which is several metres (feet) from the presidency in the capital, and set himself alight inside the vehicle, witnesses said.

He had called journalists to tell them he intended to carry out the act because he was 'unhappy with the political situation in the country and angry with the government.'

Police intervened and he was taken to hospital with burns to his face and hands, a hospital source said.

AllVoices writes "a man set himself on fire in front of the West African state's presidential palace. The man, described as a 40-year-old entrepreneur from a wealthy family, was protesting over alleged government mistreatment of his tribe, police sources said."

UPDATE 1: