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| Africa North |
| Mauritanians condemn suicide attack in Nouakchott |
| 2009-08-11 |
| [Maghrebia] Mauritanians are condemning a suicide bombing executed Saturday evening (August 8th) near the French embassy in Nouakchott that left three injured. According to witnesses, including the doorman at the embassy of the United Arab Emirates, located directly opposite the site of the attack, the suicide bomber approached two Frenchmen who were out jogging, before shouting "Allahu Akbar" and setting off his explosive belt. "One of the Frenchmen had blood on his chest; the other on his arm," explained one of the witnesses. French diplomatic sources said one of the wounded men -- who are both French gendarmes assigned to guard the French embassy -- was admitted to the hospital in Nouakchott "for a minor wound to the chest". The policemen were to provide security for the diplomatic compound during work to improve security. Police initially reported the bomber's identity as that of Ahmadu Ould Sidi Ould Fihalbaraka, a jihadist belonging to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, saying he had been wanted by Mauritanian law enforcement for some time. The identification found on the bomber proved to belong to someone else, however, so the investigation into his identity continues. The terrorist act created a state of panic and provoked angry responses from Mauritanians unaccustomed to suicide attacks. "I never imagined that someone could blow himself up in the name of religion and harm others," said Mohammed Al Salek, a Nouakchott resident. "I have seen this evil act on TV, but I never imagined seeing it as a reality over here in Mauritania, due to the peaceful nature of this people." Ahmed, a seller of mobile phone cards, was near the scene of the attack. "I suddenly heard someone saying "Allahu Akbar" and then the sound of an explosion. I turned towards him, only to see smoke, dispersed human remains and wounded people," he said. "It was a horrible scene, and I have never seen anything like it in my life." The National Front for the Defence of Democracy strongly condemned the attack, issuing a statement calling violence "a strange thing in Mauritanian society". The message continues: "We call upon... those who care about the stability of the country to unify their ranks to confront the barbarian culture of violence that recruits innocent young people for suspicious purposes." The National Development Party called on the authorities to take "strict, deterrent actions" to confront the threat of suicide attacks. At the same time, the party called on Islamic scholars and leaders to do their part in combating violent religious ideologies. The Union for the Republic -- party of new president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz -- said the attack was "a dangerous development; a first-of-its-kind precedent in the history of the country", calling it "the worst form of deviation from the values of our great religion". The French Foreign Ministry issued a statement Sunday. "We wish a speedy recovery for the wounded. We'd like to express our solidarity with the Mauritanian authorities in their confrontation of terrorism. France is determined to combat terrorism alongside the Mauritanian authorities and Mauritanian people," the statement read. Alain Joyandet, France's Secretary of State for Co-operation and Francophony, reportedly suggested the attack could be linked to President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz's inauguration promise to fight al-Qaeda. Mauritania has dealt with terrorist attacks before. A 2005 attack in Lemgheity left 15 soldiers killed and 17 wounded. In 2007, four tourists were killed in Aleg and three soldiers killed in El Ghallaoui. Attacks on the Israeli embassy and in Tourine in 2008 left 12 dead, and US citizen Christopher Leggett was murdered in 2009. Despite claims of responsibility by al-Qaeda for these attacks, none took the form of suicide bombings. President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz convened meetings with outgoing Prime Minister Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf and the High Security Council on Sunday to discuss the security situation in the country following the bombing. Also on Sunday, Security forces in Mauritania's eastern Hodh Gharbi province arrested three young men who are suspected of belonging to al-Qaeda, including a suspected terrorist identified as 23-year-old Mohamed Ould Abdel Wahab. |
| Posted by:Fred |