AU Sets Deadline for Mauritania Junta
(PANA)--The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) has given the coup leaders in Mauritania a deadline of 6 October 2008 to restore the constitutional order in the country, through the unconditional restoration of President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.
According to a communiqué released on Tuesday by the AU Commission, the decision was taken on Monday at a meeting at ministerial level in New York to consider the current situation in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. The PSC also declared as null all measures of constitutional, institutional and legislative nature taken by the military authorities in Mauritania after the coup d’état of 6 August 2008.
The council warned the authors of the coup d’état and their civilian supporters against the risk of sanctions and isolation if they do not respond positively to this demand. Despite the efforts deployed to date, the Council noted that no progress has been made towards a rapid return to constitutional legality in the country.
It recalled the pertinent provisions of the Constitutive Act of the AU, Algiers Decision AHG (XXXV) of July 1999, the Lomé Declaration of July 2000 and the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the PSC pertaining to unconstitutional changes of governments, as well as of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance that Mauritania ratified on 7 July 2008.
Reiterating its condemnation of the coup d’état and all other measures taken by its authors to consolidate the current situation, the Council reaffirmed the legitimacy of the constitutional order represented by the institutions that were democratically elected during the legislative and presidential elections held in November 2006 and March 2007 respectively.
Meanwhile, the PSC has urged all AU Member States and the international community to reject as illegitimate all actions and initiatives of the authors of the coup d’état aimed at obstructing the restoration of constitutional order in Mauritania.
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