Hey all, more on my life soon, but I wanted to check in for the benefit of all the moms out there. There was a coup d'etat in Mauritania yesterday. Not to diminish the seriousness of the situation, but apparently the army did it with their Toyota pickups with mounted guns. With these war machines, they took over the radio and TV stations, and then walked into the Presidential Palace and arrested the President. Not a shot was fired, and most people in Nouakchott (that may be a terrible spelling) didn't know it had happened.
For those of you who didn't run to a map already, the Eastern sands of Mauritania border the Western sands of Mali. There are no guarantees, but for the moment things there appear calm. Peace Corps and US Embassy personnel are on alert, but aren't hurrying out of the country. Given the relative calm in Nouakchott, I don't foresee this conflict spilling across the sand and into Mali.
There's a story on the Peace Corps website for those who don't trust my interpretation of the events. Link here.
1 comment:
Well I'm glad it was a peaceful takeover but from what you said, and what I researched after I read your post it sounds like things are pretty calm. Hopefully the Russian's and Georgian's follow suit and can come to a cease fire. Have you been to the US Embassy? Is it nearby and I read that you guys have evacuation plans, how fast are you able to get out of the country?
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