Libya accused of backing Haidalla while trial continues

The treason trial of former Mauritanian president Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla and 14 co-defendants resumed on Monday following government allegations that they had recieved strong financial backing from Libya. The state prosecutor failed last week to produce two key witnesses to support his argument that Ould Haidalla, the main challenger to President Maaouiya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya in last month's presidential election, was plotting a coup. Defence lawyers continued pressing the judge on Monday to release Ould Haidalla and his supporters for lack of evidence. Ould Haidalla led a military government in this West African desert state of 2.5 million people from 1980 to 1984, when he was overthrown by Ould Taya in a coup. He re-emerged from obscurity in August to announce that he would try to regain power through the ballot box. However, Ould Haidalla and 14 of his supporters were arrested shortly after Ould Taya was officially declared the winner of the 7 November election. They face a variety of charges of plotting against the government in collusion with a foreign power. The Mauritanian government said openly for the first time on Friday that this was Libya. A police statement said the government in Tripoli had contributed about US$ 1 million towards Ould Haidalla's election campaign. The government had earlier hinted that Libya was harbouring the ringleaders of a bloody coup attempt that nearly ousted Ould Taya in June. The Libyan foreign ministry denied all these accusations, saying it had no link with Haidalla and had never plotted to overthrow Ould Taya. President Taya, who has ruled the staunchly Islamic country with an iron hand for nearly 20 years, has developed close ties with the United States and has controversially established diplomatic relations with Israel. If found guilty, Ould Haidalla and his co-accused could face anything from 20 years of forced labour to life in prison.