31/08/2008
African Union Commission chief Jean Ping said Mauritanian military junta leader General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is "committed" to releasing ousted President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi, AFP reported on Sunday (August 30th). Ping said the AU is ready to participate in further talks and urged "all concerned Mauritanian authorities to refrain from taking any institutional and legislative action likely to increase the complexity of the situation". Abdellahi is currently being held under house arrest in Nouakchott, while Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghef is under house arrest in his home village.