Mustafa Ould Salek

Mustafa Ould Salek (Arabic المصطفى ولد محمد السالك, DMG al - Mustafa walad Muḥammad al- Salik, * 1936 in Kiffa, † December 18, 2012 in Paris) was from 1978 to 1979 head of state of Mauritania.

Soldier

Salek is from Kiffa in the region Assaba in the south of the country. After school, he was trained as a teacher in Dakar. After the independence of Mauritania 1960, he joined the army and was from 1968 to 1969 chief of staff. He received part of his military training in France. Since 1970 he was governor of several towns, some in the city Atar in the Adrar region north-east of Nouakchott. In March 1978, he was re-appointed to chief of staff. Due to disagreements with President Moktar Ould Daddah over the Western Sahara conflict in which the Mauritanian army was in serious trouble, he led on 10 July 1978 in a bloodless military coup. Moktar was arrested afterwards.

President

As chairman of the military junta, Comité Militaire de Redressement National ( CMRN ) called Lieutenant Colonel Salek was heads of state and head of government. He, too, could not cope with the military and economic problems of the country and came back in April 1979 as head of government. As head of state, he was overthrown on June 3, 1979 another coup.

More career

In the years 1981-1984 Salek was imprisoned. On January 24, 1992, he ran unsuccessfully in presidential elections in which the ruling since 1984 Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya prevailed. Salek received 4.25 % of votes. The fairness of these elections was generally considered low.