Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi
7th President of Mauritania
In office 19 April 2007 – 6 August 2008
Prime Minister	Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar Zeine Ould Zeidane Yahya Ould Ahmed El Waghef
Preceded by	Ely Ould Mohamed Vall (as Chairman of the Military Council for Justice and Democracy)
Succeeded by	Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (as President of the High Council of State)
Personal details
Born	1938 (1938) Lamden, Brakna, Mauritania, French West Africa
Died	22 November 2020(2020-11-22) (aged 81–82) Nouakchott, Mauritania
Political party	Independent
Spouse	Khatou Mint El Boukhari

Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi (born 1938, died 2020) was an important politician from Mauritania. He served as the President of Mauritania from 2007 to 2008. Before becoming president, he worked in the government during the 1970s. After being away from politics for a long time, he won the presidential election in March 2007. He became president on April 19, 2007. However, he was removed from power by the military in a coup d'état on August 6, 2008.

Early Life and Education

Abdallahi was born in 1938 in a village called Lamden. This village is in southern Mauritania, which was a French colony at the time. It is about 250 kilometers from the capital city, Nouakchott.

He went to primary school in Aleg and secondary school in Rosso, Mauritania. Later, he studied at a special school in Senegal. He then studied mathematics, physics, and chemistry in Dakar, Senegal. He also earned a degree in economics in Grenoble, France.

Working for the Government

In 1968, Abdallahi returned to Mauritania. He became the Director of the Plan, helping to create a plan for economic and social growth. In 1971, the first president of independent Mauritania, Moktar Ould Daddah, made him the Minister of Planning and Industrial Development.

During the 1970s, he held several important jobs in the government. He was the Minister of State for the National Economy in 1975. In 1976, he became the Minister of Planning and Mines. In this role, he helped the country take control of its iron mines. He also helped introduce the ouguiya, which is Mauritania's currency.

After a military coup removed President Daddah in 1978, Abdallahi was put in prison until April 1979. From 1982 to 1985, Abdallahi lived in Kuwait. There, he worked as an adviser for a fund that helped Arab countries develop.

He came back to Mauritania in 1986 and worked for the government again. He was the Minister of Hydraulics and Energy in 1986. Then, in 1987, he became the Minister of Fishing and the Maritime Economy. He left this job after disagreements with powerful business people about fishing rules. From 1989 to 2003, he lived in Niger, working again as an adviser for the Kuwait Fund.

Becoming President in 2007

Abdallahi announced he would run for president on July 4, 2006. He ran as an independent candidate, meaning he was not part of a specific political party. Some people thought he was the candidate supported by the ruling military group.

In the first round of the election on March 11, 2007, Abdallahi came in first place. He received 24.80% of the votes. A second round of voting was planned for March 25 between Abdallahi and the second-place candidate, Ahmed Ould Daddah. Other candidates who did not win enough votes in the first round, like Zeine Ould Zeidane and Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, announced their support for Abdallahi in the second round.

After the second round, the Interior Minister announced that Abdallahi had won. He received 52.85% of the votes and won in 10 out of Mauritania's 13 regions. He officially became president on April 19, 2007. The next day, he chose Zeine Ould Zeidane to be his Prime Minister.

His Time as President

In June 2007, the government announced that it had a budget problem, mostly because of issues with oil exports. To help, President Abdallahi decided to cut his own salary by 25%. He also encouraged other government members to do the same.

On June 29, Abdallahi spoke to the nation for the first time as president. He talked about difficult times in the past and said he felt for the victims. He stressed how important it was for people to be tolerant and forgive each other. He promised that the government would help Mauritanian refugees return home. He also mentioned a new law against slavery that the government had approved.

Supporters of Abdallahi started a new political party in 2007 called the National Pact for Democracy and Development. This party was created to support him.

In September 2007, while at the United Nations in New York City, Abdallahi met with a group called the African Liberation Forces of Mauritania (FLAM). This group wanted to improve the lives of black Mauritanians. This was the first time a Mauritanian president had talked with FLAM since it was banned in 1986.

The 2008 Coup d'état

On August 6, 2008, early in the morning, Abdallahi made changes to the top army officers. Soon after, he was taken from his home by members of the Presidential Security Battalion in a military coup. His spokesman said that Abdallahi, Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghef, and the interior minister were arrested. They were held under house arrest at the presidential palace in Nouakchott.

Abdallahi's daughter said that security agents took her father away. The military officers who led the coup included General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. A member of parliament claimed that many people supported the coup. He said Abdallahi had been an "authoritarian leader" and had ignored most of the parliament.

On August 7, the coup leaders announced that Abdallahi was no longer president. They said a new group, the High Council of State, would lead the country for a short time. This group, led by General Abdel Aziz, would prepare for a new presidential election.

On August 8, Abdallahi's daughter said she did not know where he was. She was worried about his health. Meanwhile, Abdel Aziz said in an interview that the military had to take power because of serious economic and political problems. He accused Abdallahi of trying to "divide the army" by firing the senior officers just before the coup. Abdel Aziz also said that Abdallahi was being held in good conditions and would be released soon. However, he later said Abdallahi would not be released "for the time being" for "security reasons."

Prime Minister Waghef and three other high-ranking officials were released by the military on August 11. Abdallahi, however, remained in custody. Waghef later spoke to a crowd of people. He said that Mauritanians did not accept the military's rule. He urged people to keep fighting to bring Abdallahi back to power.

On September 2, 2008, the Mauritanian Parliament met. They chose eight members to form a High Court. This court would try Abdallahi for things like corruption. However, no further action was taken on this.

Four human rights groups met with Abdallahi on October 19. He was still being held by the army. One person who met him said his spirits were high. He was following the news and wanted to defend his actions as president publicly. He also wanted to meet with his supporters. On November 13, he was moved from Nouakchott to his home village of Lemden.

The government said Abdallahi agreed to leave politics. But at a news conference on November 13, Abdallahi denied promising anything to the military. He said being moved to Lemden did not change anything because he was still "a president under house arrest." On November 20, Abdallahi said he would be open to talks about the country's future once the coup was stopped. On December 20, he said he would not attend a meeting planned by the military. He felt his participation would make the coup seem right. Abdallahi was taken from Lemden by security forces on December 21. He was driven to Nouakchott and released the same day.

Later Life

After his release, Abdallahi returned to Lemden. On January 22, 2009, he tried to travel to Nouakchott to give a speech. However, security forces stopped his cars outside the city. They said he could not enter the city with his group of cars. Abdallahi did not want to enter alone, so he went back to Lemden.

Abdallahi later retired from politics. He passed away in a private clinic in Nouakchott on November 22, 2020, after having heart problems. The current president, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, announced three days of national mourning for him.

See also

In Spanish: Sidi Uld Cheij Abdallahi para niños