On 10 July 1978, facing a severe economic crisis due to the cost of the war, the regime of Moktar Ould Daddah was overthrown by Colonel Moustapha Ould Mohamed Saleck and his National Recovery Military Committee (CMRN), later renamed the National Salvation Military Committee (CMSN).

[1] Immediately after this coup d'état, the Polisario declared a unilateral ceasefire, assuming that Mauritania intended to peacefully withdraw from the conflict.

[6] Alarmed by the prospect of continuing the war, Mauritania, nonetheless, signed a positive vote on the referendum requested by the Polisario and endorsed by the heads of state of the Organisation of African Unity.

[7][4] On July 29, 1979, the Prime Minister of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), Mohamed Lamine Ould Ahmed, announces the release of the 73 Mauritanian soldiers captured during the attack.

This response came following a request made on behalf of the ad hoc committee of the Organization of African Unity on Western Sahara by the heads of state of Mali and Nigeria.