Ely Ould Mohamed Vall
| Ely Ould Mohamed Vall إعلي ولد محمد فال |
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|---|---|
| Chairman of the Military Council for Justice and Democracy | |
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In office August 3, 2005 – April 19, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Maaouya Ould Taya |
| Succeeded by | Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1953 Nouakchott, Mauritania |
| Nationality | Mauritanian |
| Spouse(s) | Um Kalthoum Emt Annah |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall (Arabic: إعلي ولد محمد فال; born 1953 in Nouakchott) is a political and military figure in Mauritania. He served as the transitional military leader of Mauritania following a coup d'état in August 2005 until 19 April 2007, when he relinquished power to an elected government.
Vall was a long-time ally of President Maaouya Ould Taya, and participated in the December 1984 coup that brought Taya himself to power. Prior to the 2005 coup, he had been director of the national police force, the Sûreté Nationale, since 1987.
On 3 August 2005, Taya was ousted in a bloodless military coup while he was out of the country. A group of officers took power as the Military Council for Justice and Democracy and announced that Vall was the head of the council. He did not take the title of President because he said it should be reserved for elected leaders.
The new regime, condemning Ould Taya's government as "totalitarian", promised to lead the country to elections and the restoration of civilian rule within two years; a referendum on a new constitution was planned to be held within a year, and parliamentary and presidential elections would follow. Vall and the other members of the military council agreed not to run for president.
The coup was greeted with widespread support within Mauritania, but outside the country there was sharp condemnation. The African Union (which suspended Mauritania's membership), the European Union, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, and the United States all condemned the coup. However, this opposition weakened after several days and the regime appeared to win tacit international acceptance.
Vall maintained Mauritania's diplomatic relationship with Israel. Mauritania and Israel initiated full diplomatic relations in 1999 under Taya, a decision which contributed to the latter's unpopularity. After the coup, Ahmed Ould Sid'Ahmed, who had been Foreign Minister at the time diplomatic relations were established, was reappointed to the position.
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