Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi installed president 19 April. Former central bank governor Zein Ould Zeidane named PM. Mauritania readmitted to African Union 10 April ending suspension since August 2005 coup. Mauritanian court indicted 6 suspected of links to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (formerly GSPC) 11 April.

Former finance minister Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi won second round of country’s first free and fair presidential elections with 53% of vote 25 March. Opposition figure Ahmed Ould Daddah conceded defeat; Abdallahi to be sworn in 19 April. Both rounds, endorsed by international observers, passed without major incident.

40 Muslim Brothers arrested 10 February during protests against Israeli renovation work on Temple Mount/al- Aqsa; further 73, many potential candidates for upcoming parliamentary elections, arrested 15 February. Court cases of 40 Brothers, including senior figure Khayrat al-Shatir, transferred to military courts, first such referrals since 2001. Alexandria court sentenced blogger Abdel Kareem Soliman to 4 years prison for insulting Islam and president.

Municipal councillors voted in first round of Senate elections 21 January; no party gained clear majority. Opposition Coalition of Forces for Democratic Change requested African Union monitors for 11 March presidential election. Police arrested 3 suspected Salafi Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) members accused of 2005 army barracks attack.

Second round of legislative and municipal elections held 3 December. No party gained overall majority: parties opposed to ousted former President Sid’Ahmed Ould Taya won 41 seats, while independents, including sympathisers of former president, won 39 seats.

Legislative and municipal elections, first after August 2005 coup, held 19 November: 43 of 95 National Assembly seats decided, with seats where no candidate won 50% of vote to be decided in second round 3 December. Parties opposing former leader Sid’Ahmed Ould Taya, ousted by military, won 19 seats while independents gained 24.

EU announced observer team will monitor November parliamentary elections, calling poll important step on road to democracy.

Parliamentary and municipal elections set for 19 November. 8 suspected Salafi Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) members released end July after 14-month detention.

Authorities charged 5 associates of former President Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya, arrested before June referendum, with plotting to overthrow government.

Referendum, establishing structure for March 2007 presidential election, backed by 97% with 76% turnout according to official figures 25 June; constitutional amendments limit presidents to serving two 5-year terms. Authorities detained 5 relatives of former President Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya suspected of plotting to sabotage referendum. 6 Islamists who repudiated former involvement with Algerian Salafi Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) released by Nouakchott court 14 June; other GSPC activists still detained.