African Union suspends Mauritania
2008-08-10
The African Union has suspended Mauritania's membership following last Wednesday's coup against President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi's government, Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe, whose country holds the rotating AU presidency, announced on Saturday (August 9th).
Membe said AU conventions signed by Mauritania prohibits illegal changes of government. Meanwhile, Arab League envoy Ahmed Ben Hilli said from Nouakchott on Friday that he received guarantees that Mauritania would remain stable and the "democratic process will not be interrupted". Ben Hilli said that he was told the deposed president was in good health. According to the envoy, officials from the AU, Arab League and UN will meet Sunday to "help Mauritania emerge from the crisis".
Coup leader General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz told pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat that the junta will not release the overthrown president for the moment, "for security reasons". Abdel Aziz described the internationally condemned coup as an "internal affair", promised free elections and said his regime did not need recognition.
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