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| Mauritania army 'to fight terror' | Mauritania army 'to fight terror' |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Gen Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz has vowed to tackle terrorism, as well as its causes, after being declared the winner of Saturday's presidential election. | Gen Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz has vowed to tackle terrorism, as well as its causes, after being declared the winner of Saturday's presidential election. |
| Gen Abdelaziz, who came to power in a coup last year, said the army would be strengthened. | Gen Abdelaziz, who came to power in a coup last year, said the army would be strengthened. |
| Al-Qaeda's North African cell has claimed several attacks in Mauritania - a US man was killed last month. | Al-Qaeda's North African cell has claimed several attacks in Mauritania - a US man was killed last month. |
| Gen Abdelaziz, who denied the election had been rigged, said fighting poverty and ignorance would also be priorities. | Gen Abdelaziz, who denied the election had been rigged, said fighting poverty and ignorance would also be priorities. |
| On Sunday officials announced he had won the poll outright, with 52% of the vote. | |
| Even before the results were announced, his challengers said the outcome had been "prefabricated" and called for an international inquiry. | Even before the results were announced, his challengers said the outcome had been "prefabricated" and called for an international inquiry. |
| MAURITANIA Dominated by light-skinned Arabic-speakers (Moors)Slavery still practised, campaigners sayBlack Africans complain of discriminationMostly in the Sahara Desert Q&A: Mauritania elections Country profile: Mauritania | MAURITANIA Dominated by light-skinned Arabic-speakers (Moors)Slavery still practised, campaigners sayBlack Africans complain of discriminationMostly in the Sahara Desert Q&A: Mauritania elections Country profile: Mauritania |
| But the general challenged the opposition to provide evidence to back up their claims. | But the general challenged the opposition to provide evidence to back up their claims. |
| "Whatever [they] say, our camp did not engage in fraud," he said. | "Whatever [they] say, our camp did not engage in fraud," he said. |
| "It's not enough just to say there has been fraud - you have to provide proof." | "It's not enough just to say there has been fraud - you have to provide proof." |
| In his first news conference after being declared the winner, Gen Abdelaziz said he took the threat of terrorism seriously. | In his first news conference after being declared the winner, Gen Abdelaziz said he took the threat of terrorism seriously. |
| "We need to fight terrorism in terms of security but also by improving the living conditions of the people and fighting ignorance." | "We need to fight terrorism in terms of security but also by improving the living conditions of the people and fighting ignorance." |
| Earlier, one of the main opposition candidates, Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, told a news conference: "The results which are starting to come out show that it is an electoral charade which is trying to legitimise the coup." | Earlier, one of the main opposition candidates, Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, told a news conference: "The results which are starting to come out show that it is an electoral charade which is trying to legitimise the coup." |
| A statement from the group of four challengers read: "We firmly reject these prefabricated results, secondly we call on the international community to put in place an inquiry to shed some light on the electoral process." | A statement from the group of four challengers read: "We firmly reject these prefabricated results, secondly we call on the international community to put in place an inquiry to shed some light on the electoral process." |
| Mr Boulkheir, the outgoing speaker of parliament, came second with 16% of the vote, while veteran opposition leader Ahmed Ould Daddah came third with 14%, according to the official results. | Mr Boulkheir, the outgoing speaker of parliament, came second with 16% of the vote, while veteran opposition leader Ahmed Ould Daddah came third with 14%, according to the official results. |
| Voter turnout was 61%, the election commission said. | Voter turnout was 61%, the election commission said. |
| Fighting terrorism had also been one of Gen Abdelaziz's justifications for staging the August 2008 coup, which ousted Mauritania's only democratically elected leader Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. | Fighting terrorism had also been one of Gen Abdelaziz's justifications for staging the August 2008 coup, which ousted Mauritania's only democratically elected leader Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. |
| He had been in power for less than a year and a half. | He had been in power for less than a year and a half. |
| Last year's Paris-Dakar rally was cancelled after the killing of a family of French tourists in Mauritania. | Last year's Paris-Dakar rally was cancelled after the killing of a family of French tourists in Mauritania. |