Editing Armed Forces of Mauritania (section)

==History==
[[File:Flag of Mauritanian armed forces and security forces (1959-2017).svg|thumb|Former flag of the Mauritanian Armed Forces (1960–2017).  ]]
[[Saleh Ould Hanenna]], a former army major, led the [[2003 Mauritanian coup attempt|2003 Mauritanian coup d'état attempt]] in June 2003. It aimed to overthrow [[List of heads of state of Mauritania|President]] [[Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya]]. He commanded a rebel section of the Army during two days of heavy fighting in [[Nouakchott]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2003-06-12 |title=Mauritania crushes new coup attempt - Taipei Times |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2003/06/12/2003054971 |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=www.taipeitimes.com}}</ref> With the failure of the coup Hanenna initially escaped capture, and formed a group called the 'Knights of Change' with Mohamed Ould Cheikhna, but they were arrested on 9 October 2004.<ref name=IRIN>[http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=51680 "MAURITANIA: Government arrests mastermind behind coup plots"], IRIN Africa, 12 October 2004.</ref> 

General [[Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz]], a career soldier and high-ranking officer, was a leading figure in the [[2005 Mauritanian coup d'état]] that deposed President [[Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mauritania coup: New president named |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2005/8/3/mauritania-coup-new-president-named |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 August 2005 |title=Mauritanie – Ould Taya appelle « ses forces à intervenir » La junte militaire à Nouakchott confirme ses intentions démocratiques |url=https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/509030/Mauritanie_-_Ould_Taya_appelle_%253C%253C_ses_forces_a_intervenir_%253E%253ELa_junte_militaire_a_Nouakchott_confirme_ses_intentions_democratiques.html |website=L'Orient-Le Jour |language=fr}}</ref>  

In August 2008, General Ould Abdel Aziz led the [[2008 Mauritanian coup d'état]] that toppled President [[Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi]]. Following the latter coup, Abdel Aziz became [[List of heads of state of Mauritania|President of the High Council of State]] as part of what was described as a political transition leading to a new election.<ref name="Haut">[http://www.ami.mr/fr/articles/2008/Aout/07/01.html "Le Haut Conseil d'Etat rend public un nouveau communiqué"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080812014816/http://www.ami.mr/fr/articles/2008/Aout/07/01.html |date=12 August 2008 }}, AMI, 7 August 2008 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> He resigned from that post in April 2009 to stand as a candidate in the [[2009 Mauritanian presidential election|July 2009 presidential election]], which he won. He was sworn in on 5 August 2009.<ref name="Sworn">[https://archive.today/20121208141409/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gk0cOqczQfMQfKxyOYsoajpS3kGw "Mauritarian coup leader sworn in as president"], AFP, 5 August 2009.</ref>