African States Stake Out Range of Positions in the Wake of Qatar-Gulf Rift

African States Stake Out Range of Positions in the Wake of Qatar-Gulf Rift
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani attends a Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Doha, Qatar, Dec. 9, 2014 (AP photo by Osama Faisal).

Editor’s Note: Every Friday, Associate Editor Robbie Corey-Boulet curates the top news and analysis from and about the African continent.

In the aftermath of the decision by five Arab nations to sever diplomatic ties with Qatar, African countries adopted positions ranging from unequivocally siding against Doha to calling for dialogue and an end to the feud.

The West African nation of Mauritania, as well as Comoros, the island nation off the coast of East Africa, both announced they were breaking ties with Doha. “Qatar has developed a habit of questioning the principles on which common Arab action is based,” said the official statement from Mauritania, a member of the Arab League. Radio France Internationale reported that the relationship between Qatar and Mauritania had been mixed prior to this week, with private Qatari money financing projects such as a tourist complex, even as Mauritanian officials accused Qatar of backing extremist groups in neighboring Mali as well as the Mauritanian Islamist opposition party Tawassoul.

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