Junta ignores AU ultimatum

2008-10-06 21:44

Nouakchott - The military leadership in Mauritania on Monday ignored an AU ultimatum for the junta to reinstate the ousted president, which is due to expire at midnight.

Mauritanian public radio and television did not even mention the demands of the African bloc that president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi be returned to power "no later than Monday October 6" under threat of sanctions.

The state media also made no mention of the numerous small protests held by the president's supporters late on Sunday in the centre of Nouakchott.

The military junta, led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz made no official declaration on Monday.

However, AU chief Jean Ping told the RFI radio station that the military leadership had sent a delegation to Addis Abeba on Monday to meet for talks with the AU.

In Nouakchott politicians backing the military coup said the ultimatum does not worry them.

"We don't care about these (AU) ultimatums, this doesn't scare anybody," Sidi Mohamed Ould Maham, a spokesperson for the majority of members of Parliament who support the new military leadership, said.

Setting an ultimatum "has never solved any problems", he added.

Sanctions and isolation

The African bloc warned the military regime it risked "sanctions and isolation" if it failed to yield to its demands, but the junta has resisted all diplomatic pressure to restore the elected government.

The independent newspaper Biladi reported that some politicians were pushing the junta "to ignore the position of the international community".

It warned that the junta should "avoid the wrath of those more powerful than ourselves" referring to the world powers.

The president was ousted hours after he issued a decree firing the Mauritanian military's top brass, including junta leader Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who was the commander of the presidential guard.

Since the coup, the junta has taken over the powers of the president and formed a new government with the support of a majority of the deputies in parliament.

The new leadership has promised to hold elections quickly, but no date has been set and Parliament has voted to delay a presidential vote by at least a year.

The leadership has categorically refused international demands to reinstate the president, saying it would not move backwards.

The worst sanction...

On Sunday another source close to the junta's State Council, led by general Ould Abdel Aziz, dismissed the AU ultimatum as "pipe dreams".

"The worst sanction they could impose on Mauritania would be to force this person (president Ould Cheikh Abdallahi) on us," the source said.

African Union observers say that despite the bloc's firm tone, it is likely to take its time to make a decision.

It might eventually consider freezing the financial assets of the regime's leaders abroad and issuing a travel ban on its key figures.

For the moment however, several African diplomats have indicated that the AU wants to maintain dialogue with the military leadership.

The AU also wants to see what comes of talks scheduled for later this month between the ruling junta and officials from the EU.

- AFP