2009 Nouakchott suicide bombing

Suicide bombing in Nouakchott, Mauritania on August 8, 2009 2009 Nouakchott suicide bombing the Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present) Central mosque in Nouakchott.jpg Nouakchott Nouakchott, Mauritania Embassy of France 2009 8 8 19:00 UTC Suicide bombing 1 (the perpetrator) 3 al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Explosive belt The 2009 Nouakchott suicide bombing occurred in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, on August 8, 2009, outside the embassy of France. It was the first instance of a suicide bombing in the history of Mauritania.Suicide bomber injures two at gates of French embassy http://www.rfi.fr/actuen/articles/116/article_4690.asp Radio France International 2009-08-09 2009-08-10 https://web.archive.org/web/20090813220139/http://www.rfi.fr/actuen/articles/116/article_4690.asp 2009-08-13 live The bombing killed the perpetrator and wounded three people.France condemns Mauritania suicide attack https://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE5780LZ20090809 Reuters 2009-08-09 2009-08-10 The attack occurred three weeks after Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz had claimed victory in the contested 2009 Mauritanian presidential election. His inauguration took place on August 5, 2009, just three days before the Nouakchott bombing.Mauritania's fight against terrorism http://www.france24.com/en/20090810-mauritania-fight-against-terrorism-france-tourists-al-qaeda-abdel-aziz-africa France 24 2009-08-10 2009-08-10 https://web.archive.org/web/20090815025442/http://www.france24.com/en/20090810-mauritania-fight-against-terrorism-france-tourists-al-qaeda-abdel-aziz-africa 2009-08-15 dead Background Mauritania has witnessed a series of terrorist attacks against Western interests in recent years. Four French tourists were kidnapped and murdered in 2007. On June 23, 2009, an American teacher, Christopher Logest, was shot and killed in an attack in Nouakchott. The terrorist group, Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), claimed responsibility for both attacks. Attack The attacker, a young man, was reportedly wearing a boubou, a traditional men's garment common in Mauritania and other regions of West Africa. The bomber wore an explosive belt. The man blew himself up on the sidewalk between the French embassy and the Embassy of Libya at approximately 7:00 pm local time. While both embassies were near the suicide bombing, the target was clearly the French embassy. The explosion did not damage the French embassy. Two employees of the French embassy, who were identified as paramilitary gendarmes, were jogging nearby at the time of the attack. Both were hospitalized overnight with minor injuries. One other person was slightly injured in the attack. The detonations marked the first time that a suicide bombing had taken place in Mauritania. Investigation The government of France announced an investigation of the terrorist attack. The French government issued a statement promising to support Mauritanian authorities during the inquiry. The Mauritanian police identified the suicide bomber as a Mauritanian man born in 1987. Authorities stated that the perpetrator had been "formally identified as a member of the Jihadist movement." Reaction The French Foreign Ministry condemned, "with the greatest firmness the attack ... in Nouakchott near the French embassy." The Mauritanian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs issued a statement expressing that it, wishes the injured a speedy recovery and expresses wholehearted solidarity to the Mauritanian authorities in the face of this act of terrorism. France reaffirms her determination to fight against terrorism alongside the Mauritanian authorities and people.Mauritiana: Bomb Attack in Capital http://theglobalherald.com/mauritiana-bomb-attack-in-capital/761/ Global Herald 2009-08-10 2009-08-10 https://web.archive.org/web/20100117041533/http://theglobalherald.com/mauritiana-bomb-attack-in-capital/761/ 2010-01-17 live See also 2007 killing of French tourists in Mauritania References 2 18.1000 N 15.9500 W source:wikidata title Category:2009 crimes in Mauritania Category:Suicide bombings in 2009 Category:Terrorist incidents in Africa in 2009 Category:Attacks on diplomatic missions of France Category:Suicide bombings in Mauritania Category:2009 in international relations Category:Attacks on diplomatic missions in Mauritania Category:Terrorist incidents attributed to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Category:August 2009 in Africa Category:August 2009 crimes in Africa Category:2009 building bombings Category:Building bombings in Africa Category:France–Mauritania relations Category:21st century in Nouakchott