Mauritania: Military Coup

Statement by Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Washington, DC
August 6, 2008

The United States condemns the Mauritanian military’s overthrow of the democratically-elected Government of Mauritania and welcomes the statements by the African Union and the European Union condemning the coup. We oppose any attempts by military elements to change governments through extra-constitutional means. We call on the military to release President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi and Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghef and to restore the legitimate, constitutional, democratically-elected government immediately. The United States looks to all of our international partners to condemn this anti-democratic action.

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