Mauritania

Government ignores AU deadline

Article published on the 2008-10-07 Latest update 2008-10-07 12:15 TU

General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz
(Photo: M. Rivière/RFI)

Mauritania's military government under General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz  has chosen to ignore the African Union's ultimatum to return power to deposed president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi by Monday. The AU has threatened sanctions and isolation against the west African country because the military ousted Mauritania's first democratically elected president on 6 August.

Riot police broke up a demonstration in the capital on Sunday night, dispersing the protesters by launching tear gas. All public demonstrations have been banned.

The opposition is planning another protest Tuesday evening.

Parliamentarians who supported the coup are not deterred by the AU ultimatum.

"We don't care about these (AU) ultimatums, this doesn't scare anybody," said Sidi Mohamed Ould Maham, a spokesman for the majority of members of parliament.

Meanwhile, AU chief Jean Ping said that a delegation has arrived in Addis Ababa for talks.

The National Front for the Defense of Democracy, a coalition of five anti-coup parties, called for punitive measures against the government.

General Aziz has had contact in the past with the US military, according to former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Herman Cohen.

"There is extensive co-operation between the military and the US military in counter-terrorism training. He is well-liked by other militaries, but he has no political relations, and this is the problem," he said.

The army says that the president has been under house arrest since the coup, but his daughter, Amal Mint Cheikh Abdallah, says his whereabouts are unknown.