New Junta Announced in Mauritania

— Renegade soldiers in Mauritania have announced a new junta will be led by the head of the country's presidential guard. The news came after renegade army officers staged a coup early Wednesday and detained the president and prime minister, after they fired the desert country's top four military officials, the presidential spokesman said. A brief announcement read over state television says the "state council" will be led by presidential guard chief Gen. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. It gave no other details. In recent weeks, lawmakers have accused the president of corruption and poor governance, and 69 of the country's 95 parliament members have called for his resignation. Soldiers also detained Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waqef, the spokesman said. No violence was immediately reported. Abdallahi's civilian government took... [read full story]