A coup staged on 10 July 1978 by Ould Salek with his Comite Militaire de Redressement National (CMRN) meant a cease-fire from the Polisario. However, Morocco warned that the CMRN was not to hand over the Tigris Al Gharbia part of the Sahara to the Polisario.

The CMRN was powerless to achieve its goal of reconciliation with the Polisario. Added to this were rising tensions from Africans objecting to the continued Arabization of the culture and Ould Salek's inability to realize his election campaign promise of removing all Moroccan troops from Mauritania.

His attempt to set up a new Conseil National Consultatif failed and on 6 April 1979 he was stripped of his powers. Colonel Ould Boucief became the new Prime Minister and Lt. Colonel Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Louly became the titular head of state. The new ruling party was called the Comite Militaire de Salut National (CMSN).