Share

Dissident senator arrested in Mauritania

Nouakchott - A Mauritanian senator who led a group of lawmakers in protest against a referendum aimed at abolishing their chamber was arrested on Friday, his family and police sources told AFP.

President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz had called the August 5 referendum to push through changes defeated in the Senate in March, but faced protest from opposition and civil society groups as well as the majority of senators.

Mohamed Ould Ghadde spearheaded efforts in the senate including a sit-in against the constitutional changes, but they were approved by 85% of voters in the referendum.

Then on Friday Ghaddes was arrested "at his house in the early hours of the morning by two plainclothes policemen," a police source said.

There was no official statement on the reasons for his arrest.

Two days before the vote Ghadde had been accused by the president of asking for money on WhatsApp from a contact believed to be a businessman living in Morocco, in recordings allegedly intercepted by the security services.

A family member told AFP the police had already "taken his identity card and driving licence and ordered him not to leave the country" on Thursday when he tried to leave for medical treatment in neighbouring Senegal.

Aziz had also said during campaigning that the Senate "costs a lot, has no use and does nothing", and vowed to launch legal action against several senators.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
39% - 79 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
61% - 124 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
19.09
-1.0%
Rand - Pound
24.06
-0.7%
Rand - Euro
20.58
-0.5%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.39
-0.3%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.9%
Platinum
894.64
-0.3%
Palladium
992.99
-0.9%
Gold
2,196.85
+0.1%
Silver
24.44
-0.8%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
67,964
+0.4%
All Share
74,173
+0.4%
Resource 10
56,465
+1.4%
Industrial 25
103,617
+0.3%
Financial 15
16,480
-0.3%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE