200808101973 | Mauritannia's ousted leader to be kept captive

Mauritannia's ousted leader to be kept captive

Dubai - Mauritania's coup leader has vowed to keep ousted president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi captive until further notice for security reasons, according to an interview published on Saturday.

"We will not release the ousted president at the moment for security reasons. We are trying now to establish calm and de-escalate the situation," General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz told the Arabic-language daily Asharq al-Awsat in a telephone interview.He said that Abdallahi, ousted on Wednesday, was being held in good conditions and that the junta will decide his fate after establishing order.

"The former president is fine and in good health. He has no problems. There is a new authority - the state's supreme council, which will look into the case of the president dossier after putting the country's internal affairs in order. This will take some time," he said.

Although the new junta promised on Thursday to hold presidential elections after the "shortest possible period," Aziz failed to commit to a date.

"It is difficult to give a set date for the presidential elections at the moment because we are addressing the priorities of the country and the needs of the people which were long ignored by the former president," he told the paper.

Abdallahi, 71, was overthrown after he tried to sack Aziz and other senior army officers.

On Thursday security sources said he was being held at the headquarters of the presidential guard, and on Friday he was reported to have been moved to a secure villa.

The west African desert nation is no stranger to coups since it gained independence from France in 1960. Abdallahi's election was hailed as a model of democracy for Africa, following a three-year transition after a bloodless coup in August 2005.

The coup triggered international condemnation, with the United States urging the release of Mauritania's leaders and the European Union threatening to cut off aid. - Sapa-AFP