AU council sets new Mauritania deadline despite president's release

2008-12-23

If Mauritania's ruling military junta fails to meet international community demands regarding the country's democratic crisis by January 5th, the African Union Peace and Security Council will consider submitting sanctions to the UN Security Council, APA quoted Zambian Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga J. Pande as saying Monday (December 22nd). Speaking at the AU Peace and Security Council meeting he chaired in Addis Ababa, Pandee said that the AU considers the Sunday release of deposed Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi to be only "a partial answer" to AU and international expectations. Local and international press reports also quoted a US State Department statement as saying on Monday that Abdellahi’s release "falls far short" of international community demands.

In related news Monday, Journal Tahalil quoted Abdellahi as telling AFP in a telephone interview that he would work to "bring down the putsch". He also reiterated his determination not to take part in the junta's December 27th meeting to plan the presidential elections. Meanwhile, a member party of the anti-coup coalition National Front for the Defence of Democracy said Monday that authorities had confiscated the passports of Abdellahi and other members of his family.