ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the critical importance of established formal networks and their critical importance during times of heightened political tension. The analysis of the Algerian case helped to confirm the role of the media while clarifying the weight of the remaining variables. The rapid defection of senior figures within the regime clearly demonstrated to the general population that Libya was experiencing a historical momentum that was qualitatively different from anything it had experienced in the recent past. Mauritania's recent history provides valuable insight into the role of intermediate actors and inter-elite bargaining in a context of democratic transition. The most important variable identified in this research is the involvement of intermediate actors. Mauritania's democratic experiment was abruptly ended after the elected President Sidi Ould Cheick Abdallah was overthrown by Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.
