AU Lifts Sanctions On
Mauritania
The
African Union has lifted sanctions on Mauritania and
reversed its suspension from the body.
AU Peace and Security Council said the decision to
lift the measures against Mauritania was based on
the country’s assurances of restoring democracy this
month.
Election time
An election is due on July 18 under a transition
administration agreed on by the junta and the
civilian opposition.
Under an agreement that took effect last month, a
transition government was set up to allow a
presidential election in which junta leader Mohamed
Ould Abdel Aziz and the opposition will take part.
Accordingly, the council states, “We look forward to
the presidential election ... and requests that all
efforts be deployed for the election to take place
in the required conditions of transparency, fairness
and freedom."
AU suspended Mauritania after the army overthrew the
elected president in August last year. The body also
froze assets and imposed visa and travel bans on
members of the junta and its supporters.
It said it would keep watching the situation in
Mauritania to make sure it stayed on track.
Mauritania's neighbours were concerned the military
takeover could set a precedent in a region that had
begun to shed its reputation for coups.
AU sanctions imposed in February this year included
travel restrictions and the freezing of assets
belonging to individuals whose activities maintained
what it called the "unconstitutional status quo.’’
Reuters/Qasim/Yinka