There has been widespread international condemnation of the military takeover in Mauritania. Troops overthrew the country’s first democratically elected president, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, detaining him after he tried to dismiss army chiefs.

The president tried to dismiss four senior army officers, including the head of the presidential guard, Gen Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, who responded by launching the coup.

 Demonstrations also took place in Mauritania both for and against the coup. Police in the capital, Nouakchott, broke up a protest by hundreds of people against the coup leader. Earlier, about 1,000 people had marched through the capital chanting the general’s name.

 UN chief Ban Ki-Moon called for the “restoration of constitutional order”. Condemnation also came from the US, the EU, and the African Union AU.

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