AU in talks with coup leaders

2005-08-10 09:18

Ahmed Mohamed

Nouakchott - A delegation from the African Union (AU) met with Mauritania's new military strongman, on a mission to urge leaders of last week's coup to restore constitutional order to this newly oil-rich Islamic nation.

The 53-nation body has condemned the August 3 putsch and suspended Mauritania's membership in the organisation, but has so far stopped short of explicitly calling for exiled President Maaya Sid'Ahmed Ould Taya to be restored to office.

Taya, who had ruled since a 1984 coup, was widely unpopular and many Mauritanians welcomed his ouster. On Tuesday Taya flew out of his temporary exile in Niger and was headed for the West African nation of Gambia, according to members of his entourage.

Vowing to return to power

The AU delegation includes Nigerian foreign minister Oluyemi Adeniji, South African Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula and an official of the AU commission. They met junta leader colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall for more than two hours on Tuesday at the presidential palace in Nouakchott.

AU officials did not comment publicly, but an official who was part of the delegation said Vall had explained the reasons for the coup.

Nigeria holds the chairmanship of the AU, and South Africa is this month's head of the organisation's peace and security council.

Speaking in an interview on Monday broadcast on the Dubai-based news channel Al-Arabiya, Taya vowed he would return to power and called on his country's armed forces to reverse the coup.

Taya issued orders "in my capacity as president of the republic to the armed forces to restore the natural order and put an end to this crime".

"I am determined to return to Nouakchott to continue the job of building our nation," he added.

Pressure from the AU

A 17-man military junta comprised of top army brass toppled Taya while he was abroad on Wednesday. The coup was welcomed by many in this desert nation who had grown weary of Taya's harsh 21-year rule.

Taya urged the AU to keep up pressure on the junta.

The AU said in a statement on Monday it was dispatching the delegation to Nouakchott "to discuss with the new Mauritanian authorities ways of restoring constitutional order".

On Monday, the United States state department said it backed the trip but stopped short of calling for Taya's return.

Vall has pledged to hold elections within two years and says no member of the military junta that seized power will stand in the vote.

Taya was strongly criticised by many Mauritanians for allying his overwhelmingly Muslim nation with the US in the war on terror and opening full diplomatic relations with Israel six years ago, becoming one of only three Arab League nations to do so.

- AP