Mauritania's military rulers named a new civilian government yesterday a week after staging a bloodless coup, although many of its members hailed from the ousted president's party. The military junta, which ended two decades of authoritarian rule by President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmad Taya, has pledged presidential elections within two years, winning widespread support at home and cautious international approval. However, opposition politicians voiced disappointment at the make up of the new 20-member Cabinet and particularly at the choice of Ahmad Ould Sid Ahmad as foreign minister. Under Taya, he had been instrumental in establishing diplomatic ties with Israel in 1999, angering many Arabs in the country. "For us a break in relations with Israel would be irrefutable proof of a break with the old regime," said Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, leader of a radical opposition party, after the decree naming the new ministers was read out on state radio. "My feeling is that there is no change from what we have known for the past 20 years," he said.
| "I'm so disappointed, I could just explode!" |
In the new Cabinet, which includes three women, Mohammad Ali Ould Sidi Mohammad, previously head of the state electricity company which like other public firms helped fund Taya's party, will take over as energy minister. |