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Washington/Brussels/Addis Ababa: The United States condemned the coup in Mauritania on Wednesday, saying it had ousted a democratically elected government.
"This was a democratically elected, constitutional government and we condemn the act," State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos told reporters.
Presidential guards seized Mauritanian President President Sidi Mohammad Ould Shaikh Abullahi yesterday after he sacked several top army officers in the West African country. He won elections last year and took over from a military junta.
Gallegos said his understanding was that US citizens known to be in the country were safe.
The European Commission condemned the coup and threatened to suspend its cooperation and aid to the country.
EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel said the coup jeopardised cooperation "as we are finalising with the Mauritanian government a 156 million euro (Dh889.2 million) programme for 2008-2013 to add to assistance already in place".
The EU's executive arm said the coup imperiled "the exemplary democratic advances which the country has made since the 2005 coup d'etat." The commission said it would continue to monitor closely events in Mauritania.
The African Union condemned the military coup and said it was sending an envoy to the country to assess the situation.
Envoy to be sent
"The AU... condemns the coup d'etat and demands the restoration of constitutional legality," it said in a statement.
The bloc also said it was sending Ramtane Lamamra, its peace and security commissioner, to Mauritania to "assess the situation on the ground and to assist in promoting a peaceful solution to the crisis."
AU commission chief Jean Ping "is following with great concern the evolution of the situation in Mauritania," the statement added.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, condemned the coup in Mauritania and said it would not recognise the military rulers.
"Nigeria totally condemns the event that took place today in Mauritania. Nigeria will not recognise any government that did not come to power through constitutional means," President Umaru Yar'Adua told reporters.
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