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Polity
Article by: Reuters
Published: 12 May 2008
Mauritania names old hands, Islamists in new cabinet
Mauritania's new prime minister named a cabinet late on Sunday, handing powerful posts to figures who served the authoritarian administration ousted in a 2005 coup and bringing in Islamist opposition politicians. The broad-based government is the latest step by President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi to consolidate his political and parliamentary power base as the arid Saharan country faces twin threats from al Qaeda attacks and soaring food prices.

Last week, Abdallahi named as his new prime minister Yahya Ahmed El Waghef, general secretary of the National Pact for Development and Democracy (PNDD-ADIL) party which Abdallahi created after coming to office last year.

Waghef brought back prominent politicians who served during the two-decade rule of Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, who was overthrown in a military coup in 2005.

Waghef kept around a third of the technocratic team of Zein Ould Zeidane, the former central bank chief and presidential hopeful whom Abdallahi initially appointed prime minister in return for his backing in an election run-off last year.

He left unchanged the strategic ministries of defence, and economy and finance, but named Mohamed Yehdhih Ould Moctar El Hacen, former president of Taya's party, as interior minister.

CHeikh El Avia Ould Mohamed Khouna, who was twice Taya's prime minister, became foreign minister.

Waghef gave the employment and higher education portfolios to members of Tawassoul, an Islamist opposition party officially recognised just last year after being banned for years by Taya.

INTENSE CRITICISM

The new premier also bolstered the opposition Union of Progressive Forces (UFP) with two ministerial posts, up from one in the previous cabinet, and increased the number of black Mauritanians to six from four.

Straddling Arab North Africa and black West Africa, Mauritania has long been riven by enmity between light-skinned Moors and the black African compatriots they traditionally kept as slaves -- and in some cases still do.

The inclusive line-up was consistent with Abdallahi's pledge on coming to power last year to govern by consensus to promote national unity, and his desire to neutralise a growing threat from Islamist groups allied to al Qaeda.

The attacks raised fears al Qaeda was expanding operations from Algeria and Morocco to the north into Mauritania, one of the few Arab-led countries to recognise Israel and one of Africa's newest oil producers.

Zeidane's government came under intense criticism over its response to a string of attacks by al Qaeda's north African arm, including the December 24 murder of four French tourists and the cancellation of the annual Dakar motor rally on security fears.

Not all Mauritanians were pleased with the new cabinet.

"We are going back to square one -- all we need now is Ould Taya and the establishment is back. We have no confidence," said school teacher Fara Ba.