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SV Crown Prince Fahd Ibn Abdel Aziz off plane and greeted by Mauritanian President Moktar Ould Daddah
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SV Band playing as two leaders cross tarmac (3 shots)
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CU Flag PAN TO two leaders standing to attention
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SV Crown Prince Fahd meeting officials (2 shots)
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SV Local children holding pictures
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GV Ould Daddah and Crown Prince Fahd walk off tarmac with officials
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Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The Vice-Premier of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Fahd Ibn Abdel Aziz, arrived in Nouackchott, Mauretania on Tuesday (16 November).

SYNOPSIS: He was greeted at the airport by Mauritanian President Moktar Ould Daddah. According to the Visnews representative in Nouackchott the Crown Prince is visiting Mauretania in the role of mediator in the dispute over the Western Sahara.

Spain relinquished its colonial rule over the Western Sahara in February this year. Although an agreement specified that the territory should be divided between Morocco and Mauretania, the Polisario Front liberation movement proclaimed a Saharan Arab Democratic Republic and was supported by Algeria in this move.

Relations between Mauritania and Morocco and Algeria deteriorated steadily from this point -- and in March, after Algeria had announced its recognition of the new republic, both Morocco and Mauretania broke off diplomatic relations. Since then various Arab states, including Egypt and Libya have been involved in mediation efforts resolve the Western Sahara problem.

There are fears that the dispute might eventually involve wider issues and Crown Prince Fahd's visit to Mauretania is yet another in a long line of attempts to avoid escalation.