The African Union has suspended Mauritania’s membership in the wake of a coup in that country. An AU spokesperson El-Ghassim Wane said in Addis Ababa that membership is automatically frozen in the case of a coup. The move is to prevent Mauritania from participating in meetings or votes until it restores constitutional order.
The military returned to power in Mauritania which held historic elections just last year. Mauritania won international praise for that vote, which saw President Sidi Cheikh Ould Abdallahi emerging victorious after a two-year transition to civilian rule.
