Moktar Ould Daddah | |
|---|---|
مختار ولد داداه | |
 Ould Daddah in 1960 | |
| 1st President of Mauritania | |
| In office 28 November 1960 – 10 July 1978 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Mustafa Ould Salek |
| 1st Prime Minister of Mauritania | |
| In office 21 May 1957 – 20 August 1961 | |
| President | Himself |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished (eventually Ahmed Ould Bouceif as Prime Minister in 1979) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 December 1924 Boutilimit, French Mauritania, French West Africa |
| Died | 14 October 2003 (aged 78) Paris, France |
| Nationality | Mauritanian |
| Political party | Mauritanian People's Party |
| Relations | Ahmed Ould Daddah (half-brother) |
Moktar Ould Daddah (Arabic: مختار ولد داداه, romanized: Mukhtār Wald Dāddāh; December 25, 1924 – October 14, 2003) was a Mauritanian politician who led the country after it gained its independence from France. Moktar served as the country's first Prime Minister from 1957 to 1961 and as its first President of Mauritania, a position he held from 1960 until he was deposed in a military coup d'etat in 1978.[1]
He established a one-party state, with his Mauritanian People's Party being the sole legal political entity in the country, and followed a policy of "Islamic socialism" with many nationalizations of private businesses. In his memoirs, Moktar expressed concern that the issue of slavery in Mauritania could lead to armed conflict that would ultimately destroy the country.[2]
In foreign affairs, he joined the Non-Aligned Movement and maintained strong links with Mao Zedong and the People's Republic of China, but he also accepted Western (especially French) foreign aid.[3] During his presidency, Mauritania saw conflict with the Polisario Front in Western Sahara after working to broker a deal to divide the territory with Morocco.[4][5]
- ^ Koven, Ronald (1978-07-11). "Mauritanian President Overthrown in Military Coup". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ "Mauritania Struggles to Address Legacy of Slavery | علّية عباس". السفير العربي. 2013-07-03. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
- ^ Jeremy Friedman, Shadow Cold War: The Sino-Soviet Competition for the Third World, 2015, p. 166
- ^ "Moktar Ould Daddah, 78; Led Mauritania to Independence in 1961". The New York Times. Agence France-Presse. 2003-10-16. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
- ^ "Aux termes de l'accord conclu entre Madrid, Rabat et Nouakchott La présence espagnole prendra fin le 28 février 1976". Le Monde.fr (in French). 1975-11-17. Retrieved 2024-01-31.