Mauritania’s Poor Skeptical on Oil Riches

A history of cracking down ruthlessly on opponents and anger over allying this Muslim nation with the United States in the war on terror and opening full diplomatic relations with Israel six years ago were cited as the prime reasons for a bloodless Aug. 3 coup that toppled President Maaouya Sid’Ahmed Ould Taya. But a power struggle over oil also may have played a role.

Bickering over oil comes despite economic improvements in recent years, even before the first oil revenues in this West African nation.

Washington Post