| Mauritania arrested 27 soldiers Monday suspected of involvement in a coup plot to topple the government of President Maaouya Ould Taya, sources from Nouakchott said. The sources said the 27 include three major plotters. One of the three, a source said, is a cousin of the mastermind behind a coup attempt in June 2003, while another is a former army commander ousted a month ago. The soldiers allegedly planned to seize the army chiefs who were scheduled to attend a meeting at the headquarters of the general staff Monday morning, before taking by storm the presidential office. The sources said the suspects might get involved in the plot because of discontentment over delayed trial of the soldiers detained for the June 2003 coup attempt. The soldiers launched an abortive coup on June 8, 2003, which was put down after a firefight that claimed 15 lives and left 68 wounded. About 120 soldiers linked to the failed coup are still kept in prison, waiting for trial. |