Tunisians optimistic about AU sanctions on Mauritania

2009-02-11

The African Union's resolution imposing sanctions on Mauritania in response to the August 2008 coup has the support of some Tunisian officials and journalists.

By Jamel Arfaoui in Tunis for Magharebia– 11/02/09

[Getty Images] The African Union's Peace and Security Council called on member states to support sanctions against Mauritania's military administration.

Reactions in Tunisia this week appear favourable to the African Union (AU) decision to impose sanctions on the ruling junta in Mauritania. Politicians and analysts welcomed the resolution, passed last Friday (February 6th) by the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC).

One member of the Tunisian parliament said the resolution was well thought out and should have the desired effect on the interim government.

MP Adel Chaouch praised the AU for targeting specific officials and not stemming the flow of aid to the population. "This is an opportunity for the world community to reconsider its approach to rebellious regimes," he said, "especially since in many cases we see nations paying the price for their rulers' mistakes."

In its February 8th issue, London-based Asharq al-Awsat reported that the sanctions were imposed directly upon 60 persons, including 5 members of the High Council of State, 7 ministers, 13 businessmen, 10 MPs, 5 political party leaders and a number of activists supporting the coup.

PSC Chairman Manuel Domingos Augusto of Angola said Friday in Addis Ababa that the resolution also includes enforcement of a travel ban on civilian and military members of the ruling council, and freezes their funds as well.

In its official statement, the PSC called on AU member states to implement the resolution, asking that they contribute to efforts to restore political order in Mauritania. The statement also asked the military administration to "co-operate fully with the AU... to return to the constitutional regime and swiftly resolve the political crisis in the country."

Ahmed Bemba Ould Baya, President of Mauritania's ruling High Council of State, accused the AU of refusing to acknowledge the achievements of the military administration. These successes include "organising general forums for democracy, arranging elections within... six months, in addition to reducing prices in general", he noted.

"We are thus urging the AU to be objective and adopt negotiations, rather than sanctions, as a means of solving all issues, including returning to the democratic path," Ould Baya concluded.

Political analysts in Tunisia see broader implications for the AU action. Borhane Besais told Magharebia that the resolution addresses an African political problem that extends far beyond the regime in Nouakchott. As such, he was encouraged by the willingness of the AU to pass binding resolutions, but said the latest decision "will be far more binding if it can be enforced by other worldwide organisations such as the UN Security Council".

Journalist Sofiane Chourabi chastised the junta for "toppling the legitimate democratic regime", adding that it "nipped in the bud a new experiment that could have been an example for other neighbouring countries to follow".

Chourabi added that sanctions by any party constitute "the least action that can be taken to keep the experiment from regressing, and to pressure the revolutionary rulers to respect the political and popular legitimacy of the former regime."

Mauritania's membership in the African Union has been suspended since the August 6th coup. Interim ruler General Muhammad Ould Abdel Aziz asked the AU on January 30th to monitor the country's proposed presidential elections in June, but the organisation has yet to respond.