Ahmed Ould Daddah
Encyclopedia
Ahmed Ould Daddah is a Mauritania
n economist, politician and civil servant. He is a half-brother of Moktar Ould Daddah
, the first President of Mauritania, and belongs to the Marabout
Ouled Birri
tribe
. He is currently the President of the Rally of Democratic Forces
(RFD) and was designated as the official leader of the opposition following the 2007 presidential election
, in which he placed second.
, ending in 1978. He then served briefly in the government as Minister of Finance and Commerce
in 1978, until his brother was ousted in a military coup on 10 July 1978. Later, he was an economist for the World Bank
from 1986 to 1991, advising the government of the Central African Republic
.
in January 1992 and took second place with 32.73% of the vote, behind Taya. Also in 1992, he became Secretary-General of the Union of Democratic Forces-New Era (UFD-EN), an opposition party.
Daddah was arrested in January 1995, along with another opposition leader, Hamdi Ould Mouknass of the Union for Democracy and Progress, and a number of other activists, following the outbreak of riots regarding the price of bread. Their parties were accused of instigating the violence, but they denied this, saying that it happened spontaneously and that they were opposed to the rioting. Although placed under house arrest, they were not charged and in early February they were released.
In February 1997, the UFD-EN formed the Front of Opposition Parties (FPO) with four other parties. The FPO boycotted the December 1997 presidential election, which was easily won by Taya. On 16 December 1998, Daddah was arrested in the capital, Nouakchott
, along with two other people associated with the UFD-EN, Mohameden Ould Babah and Mohameden Ould Ichiddou. This followed a meeting of the FPO, of which Daddah was president, where the government was accused of intending to allow nuclear waste from Israel
to be dumped in Mauritania. They were held at Boumdeid
under poor conditions until 17 January 1999, when they were released; they were subsequently acquitted of inciting intolerance and acts likely to breach public order in March 1999. In April 2000, Daddah was arrested and held for five days after calling for a mass meeting in the capital regarding the alleged weakness of the rule of law
and the lack of investigation into the violence of the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was again held for three days in December 2000, but was not charged.
In October 2000, the UFD-EN was dissolved by the government for allegedly inciting violence and harming the country's interests. In its place a new opposition party was set up, the Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD), and Daddah was elected its president in January 2002.
Daddah ran again in the presidential election
of 7 November 2003 and took third place with 6.89%, behind Taya and Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla
. On 8 November, together with Haidalla and another opposition candidate, Messoud Ould Boulkheir, he alleged fraud and urged the people to reject the results.
On 3 November 2004, Daddah was arrested along with Haidalla and Cheikh Ould Horma; they were accused of involvement in coup plots and were put on trial. The prosecutor sought a five-year prison sentence for Daddah, but at the end of the trial, in which there were 195 defendants, he was acquitted on 3 February 2005.
, held on 19 November. The RFD participated in this election as part of an eight party opposition alliance. In Kiffa
on January 12, 2007, Daddah announced his candidacy in the March 2007 presidential election
. In the first round, held on 11 March, he won 20.69% of the vote, in second place behind Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi
, who won 24.80%. In the second round of the election, held on 25 March, Daddah was defeated by Abdallahi, taking 47.15% of the vote against Abdallahi's 52.85%. Daddah won in three of the country's 13 regions: in Nouakchott, in Inchiri Region
, and in Trarza Region
, where he is from. Daddah accepted the results and congratulated Abdallahi on his victory.
On 30 May 2007, Daddah was designated as the official leader of the opposition by the Constitutional Court.
of 6 August 2008. Speaking to Al Jazeera
on 12 August, Daddah described the coup as "a movement to rectify the democratic process" and alleged that the 2007 presidential election was "marked by fraud".
On 4 February 2009, while still expressing support for the coup and saying that Abdallahi should not be restored to the Presidency, Daddah proposed that the army give up power and that anyone who was serving in the military at the time of the coup should not be allowed to participate in the planned 2009 presidential election
. He expressed concern that continued military rule would negatively affect Mauritania's relations with the rest of the world, potentially including economic sanctions. Daddah and the RFD chose to boycott the 2009 presidential election, decrying the junta's allegedly unilateral timetable.
After the junta and the opposition reached an agreement and the election was delayed to 18 July 2009, the RFD announced on 9 June 2009 that Daddah had been designated as the party's presidential candidate by a special party congress.
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
n economist, politician and civil servant. He is a half-brother of Moktar Ould Daddah
Moktar Ould Daddah
Moktar Ould Daddah was the President of Mauritania from 1960, when his country gained its independence from France, to 1978, when he was deposed in a military coup d'etat.- Background :...
, the first President of Mauritania, and belongs to the Marabout
Marabout
A marabout is a Muslim religious leader and teacher in West Africa, and in the Maghreb. The marabout is often a scholar of the Qur'an, or religious teacher. Others may be wandering holy men who survive on alms, Sufi Murshids , or leaders of religious communities...
Ouled Birri
Ouled Birri
The Ouled Birri is a Moorish tribe in the Trarza region of northern Mauritania. It is a Zawia tribe. The Oulad Birri have produced a number of important Marabouts of the Qadiriyya Sufi tariqa: most famous among them was Shaykh Sidya Baba, who aided the Frenchman Xavier Coppolani in bringing the...
tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
. He is currently the President of the Rally of Democratic Forces
Rally of Democratic Forces
The Rally of Democratic Forces is a political party in Mauritania. It is led by Ahmed Ould Daddah.In October 2000, the Union of Democratic Forces-New Era, which was led by Daddah, was dissolved by the government for allegedly inciting violence and harming the country's interests...
(RFD) and was designated as the official leader of the opposition following the 2007 presidential election
Mauritanian presidential election, 2007
A Mauritanian presidential election occurred on 11 March 2007. Since no candidate received a majority of the votes, a second round was held on 25 March between the top two candidates, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi and Ahmed Ould Daddah...
, in which he placed second.
Early career
Daddah began his career in 1971 as the Director-General of the National Import-Export Company of Mauritania. In 1973, he began a stint as the Governor of the Central Bank of MauritaniaCentral Bank of Mauritania
The Central Bank of Mauritania is the central bank of Mauritania, in northwest Africa. The bank is located in Nouakchott, just south of the Presidential Palace and its governor is Kane Ousmane.-History:...
, ending in 1978. He then served briefly in the government as Minister of Finance and Commerce
Finance minister
The finance minister is a cabinet position in a government.A minister of finance has many different jobs in a government. He or she helps form the government budget, stimulate the economy, and control finances...
in 1978, until his brother was ousted in a military coup on 10 July 1978. Later, he was an economist for the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
from 1986 to 1991, advising the government of the Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
.
Under Taya
Returning to Mauritania in 1991, he ran for President against Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed TayaMaaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya
Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya , was Prime Minister of Mauritania from 1981 to 1984 and president from 1984 to 2005. He guided Mauritania from military rule to democracy, and took a pro-Western stance in foreign affairs...
in January 1992 and took second place with 32.73% of the vote, behind Taya. Also in 1992, he became Secretary-General of the Union of Democratic Forces-New Era (UFD-EN), an opposition party.
Daddah was arrested in January 1995, along with another opposition leader, Hamdi Ould Mouknass of the Union for Democracy and Progress, and a number of other activists, following the outbreak of riots regarding the price of bread. Their parties were accused of instigating the violence, but they denied this, saying that it happened spontaneously and that they were opposed to the rioting. Although placed under house arrest, they were not charged and in early February they were released.
In February 1997, the UFD-EN formed the Front of Opposition Parties (FPO) with four other parties. The FPO boycotted the December 1997 presidential election, which was easily won by Taya. On 16 December 1998, Daddah was arrested in the capital, Nouakchott
Nouakchott
-Government:The town was first divided into districts in 1973. First it was divided into four. From 1986, the city has been split into nine districts.* Arafat* Dar Naim* El Mina* Ksar* Riad* Sebkha* Tevragh-Zeina* Teyarett* Toujounine...
, along with two other people associated with the UFD-EN, Mohameden Ould Babah and Mohameden Ould Ichiddou. This followed a meeting of the FPO, of which Daddah was president, where the government was accused of intending to allow nuclear waste from Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
to be dumped in Mauritania. They were held at Boumdeid
Boumdeid
Boumdeid is a town and commune in Mauritania....
under poor conditions until 17 January 1999, when they were released; they were subsequently acquitted of inciting intolerance and acts likely to breach public order in March 1999. In April 2000, Daddah was arrested and held for five days after calling for a mass meeting in the capital regarding the alleged weakness of the rule of law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
and the lack of investigation into the violence of the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was again held for three days in December 2000, but was not charged.
In October 2000, the UFD-EN was dissolved by the government for allegedly inciting violence and harming the country's interests. In its place a new opposition party was set up, the Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD), and Daddah was elected its president in January 2002.
Daddah ran again in the presidential election
Mauritanian presidential election, 2003
A presidential election was held in Mauritania on November 7, 2003. As expected, President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya was easily re-elected against weak opposition...
of 7 November 2003 and took third place with 6.89%, behind Taya and Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla
Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla
Ret. Col. Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidallah was the head of state of Mauritania from 4 January 1980 to 12 December 1984...
. On 8 November, together with Haidalla and another opposition candidate, Messoud Ould Boulkheir, he alleged fraud and urged the people to reject the results.
On 3 November 2004, Daddah was arrested along with Haidalla and Cheikh Ould Horma; they were accused of involvement in coup plots and were put on trial. The prosecutor sought a five-year prison sentence for Daddah, but at the end of the trial, in which there were 195 defendants, he was acquitted on 3 February 2005.
Under military and civilian rule
Taya was overthrown in a coup in August 2005, and a transitional military regime held new elections in late 2006 and early 2007. Daddah declared the RFD to be "the country's biggest political force" after the first round of the 2006 Mauritanian parliamentary electionMauritanian parliamentary election, 2006
Parliamentary and municipal elections in Mauritania occurred on 19 November and 3 December 2006. At least 28 political parties competed to comprise the lower house of parliament, the National Assembly; Islamist parties were banned, but many Islamists ran as independent candidates...
, held on 19 November. The RFD participated in this election as part of an eight party opposition alliance. In Kiffa
Kiffa
Kiffa is a city and department in south-central Mauritania. Kiffa is capital of Assaba Region. It is located at around .It is famous for its antique Kiffa beads....
on January 12, 2007, Daddah announced his candidacy in the March 2007 presidential election
Mauritanian presidential election, 2007
A Mauritanian presidential election occurred on 11 March 2007. Since no candidate received a majority of the votes, a second round was held on 25 March between the top two candidates, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi and Ahmed Ould Daddah...
. In the first round, held on 11 March, he won 20.69% of the vote, in second place behind Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi
Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi
Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi is a Mauritanian politician. He served in the government during the 1970s, and after a long period of absence from politics he won the March 2007 presidential election, taking office on 19 April 2007...
, who won 24.80%. In the second round of the election, held on 25 March, Daddah was defeated by Abdallahi, taking 47.15% of the vote against Abdallahi's 52.85%. Daddah won in three of the country's 13 regions: in Nouakchott, in Inchiri Region
Inchiri
Inchiri is a region in western Mauritania. Its capital is Akjoujt. It borders the regions of Adrar to the east, Trarza to the south, and Dakhlet Nouadhibou to the north and west, along with a short Atlantic Ocean coastline. Famously, Arthur Vincent Aston once visited for a week.-See...
, and in Trarza Region
Trarza
Trarza is a region in southwest Mauritania. Its capital is Rosso. Other major cities and towns include Mederdra and Boutilimit. The region borders the Mauritanian regions of Inchiri and Adrar to the north, Brakna to the east and Senegal to the south...
, where he is from. Daddah accepted the results and congratulated Abdallahi on his victory.
On 30 May 2007, Daddah was designated as the official leader of the opposition by the Constitutional Court.
After the 2008 coup
Daddah and the RFD supported the military coup d'état2008 Mauritanian coup d'état
A coup d'état took place in Mauritania on 6 August 2008 when Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was ousted from power by a group of high ranking generals he had dismissed from office earlier that day.-Background:...
of 6 August 2008. Speaking to Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
on 12 August, Daddah described the coup as "a movement to rectify the democratic process" and alleged that the 2007 presidential election was "marked by fraud".
On 4 February 2009, while still expressing support for the coup and saying that Abdallahi should not be restored to the Presidency, Daddah proposed that the army give up power and that anyone who was serving in the military at the time of the coup should not be allowed to participate in the planned 2009 presidential election
Mauritanian presidential election, 2009
A presidential election was held in Mauritania on 18 July 2009. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who led the 2008 coup d'état, won a narrow first-round majority in the election, according to official results...
. He expressed concern that continued military rule would negatively affect Mauritania's relations with the rest of the world, potentially including economic sanctions. Daddah and the RFD chose to boycott the 2009 presidential election, decrying the junta's allegedly unilateral timetable.
After the junta and the opposition reached an agreement and the election was delayed to 18 July 2009, the RFD announced on 9 June 2009 that Daddah had been designated as the party's presidential candidate by a special party congress.
External links
- Official website (in FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
or ArabicArabic languageArabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
)