Mauritania police break up protests

[XXPANTHAXX]

Aziz has vowed to hold "free and transparent" elections "in the shortest
time possible"

Police in Mauritania have fired tear gas on about 100 demonstrators
calling for the reinstatement of the country's toppled president, Sidi
Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.

The president was taken into custody by members of the military on
Wednesday, who declared a coup d'etat.

Abdallahi's whereabouts are unknown.

Demonstrators gathered in front of the parliament building in
Nouakchott, the capital, holding up placards that said: "No to the coup.
Yes to our legitimate president."

Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Dahmane, a protest leader, said: "We wanted to
organise a peaceful demonstration. Our protesters were only armed with
slogans and portraits of the president. The police stopped us by firing
tear gas."

While protests took place against the military junta, hundreds of people
held up posters in support of the coup and General Mohamed Ould Abdel
Aziz, the coup leader, chanting slogans such as "Yes to the coup!" and
"We support the military!"

Aziz promised on Thursday to solve "all of the country's problems" in
his first speech since he removed the president.

The military council now running the country has pledged to respect
treaties and other international commitments binding Mauritania,
Africa's newest oil producer.

Leaders of the military coup in Mauritania vowed to hold "free and
transparent" presidential elections "in the shortest time possible".

The statement released by the leaders on Thursday said: "These
elections, which will be held in the shortest possible period, will be
free and transparent and will bring for the future a continued and
harmonious functioning of all the constitutional powers."

But international reaction to the coup has brought condemnation.

US response

Todd Moss, the US state department's African affairs representative,
told Al Jazeera that the international community has "condemned in the
strongest possible terms the unconstitutional overthrowal of the
legitimate democratic government".

"The interational community is united in that this is an unacceptable
step and unfortunate event for Mauritania and Africa. We hoped to have
gotten passed the cycle of coups like this.

"What [Aziz] should have done is organise himself and put himself into
the next election cycle - that's what should happen in a democracy,"
Moss said.

"The entire relationsip [between the US and Mauritania] now needs to be
reviewed. If they want the relationship to continue, the president needs
to be restored as per the constitution."

EU response

The European Commission said on Thursday that Mauritania's
democratically-elected president and prime minister must be released by
the new junta as a precondition for any fresh elections.

John Clancy, the Commission's spokesman, told reporters in Brussels:
"The current situation is unacceptable. A military coup of this nature
is unacceptable against a democratically elected president.

"We have taken note of what they said. These elections would have to fit
in the framework of the constitution of that country.

"In this connection, the release of the democratically-elected president
and prime minister is an essential precondition," he said.

Romain Nadal, the French foreign ministry spokesm, said on Thursday:
"Any lack of a return to constitutional legality will necessarily have
consequences on relations between Mauritania its main partners, such as
the European Union."

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, said he "deeply regrets the
overthrow of the government of President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi,"
and called for "the restoration of constitutional order", his
spokeswoman said.

The African Union called for maintaining "constitutional legality" and
said Ramtane Lamamra, its peace and security commissioner, would go to
Mauritania.

Bloodless coup

Convoys rolled through the capital on Wednesday, surrounding the
presidential palace, the prime minister's office and the state
broadcaster.

Officers seized Abdallahi, along with the country's interior minister
and Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf, the prime minister, in a bloodless coup led
by Aziz.

Abdel Aziz is the leader of the presidential guard who was fired by
Abdallahi shortly beforehand.

Abdallahi himself won elections last year after a 2005 coup, also
instigated by Ould Abdel Aziz, which ended years of military rule.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Mauritania fact box

November 1960 - Independence won from France as the Islamic Republic of
Mauritania with Moktar Ould Daddah as president.

1964 - Daddah proclaims a one-party state and the next year all parties
merge to form the Parti du Peuple Mauritanien.

1975 - Mauritania is declared an Islamic Socialist Republic.

July 1978 - Daddah is deposed in a bloodless coup by Moustapha Ould
Mohamed Salek who assumes absolute power as president in March 1979.

December 1984 - After a number of coup attempts, Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed
Taya seizes power and proclaims himself president. Almost two years
later, Taya introduces the Sharia.

January 1992 - Taya is elected president with 63 per cent of the vote
under a 1991 constitution permitting multiple political parties.

August 2005 - The army seizes power to end Taya's rule, and promises to
hold presidential elections in March 2007.

June 2006 - In a referendum meant to end decades of coup attempts,
voters back constitutional changes ensuring no president can serve for
more than a decade.

March 2007 - Former minister Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi wins a
presidential run-off with 53 per cent of the vote defeating opposition
figure Ahmed Ould Daddah. Abdallahi was sworn in on April 19.

July 2008 - Abdallahi asks Yahya Ahmed El Waghef, the prime minister to
form a cabinet after the PM and his government resign following
criticism over the government's response to rising food prices.

August 6, 2008 - Presidential guardsmen seize Abdallahi in a coup after
he sacked several senior army officers.

August 7 - An 11-strong military government promises it will work with
politicians and civic groups to organise presidential elections.