The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council decided Thursday (February 5th) in Addis Ababa to impose sanctions on members of Mauritania's ruling military junta, local and international press reported. Measures include restricting travel by military and civilian members of the junta, refusing visas and exercising control over junta members' bank accounts, AFP quoted council chairman Manuel Domingos Augusto as saying. The AU decision will be passed on to the UN Security Council, he added, noting, however, that despite the sanctions, the AU will maintain a dialogue with the junta to restore constitutional order to Mauritania.
In related news, junta leader General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz announced his candidacy for president at a weekly government meeting on Thursday, APA reported. Speaking at a press conference this week, opposition Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD) leader Ahmed Ould Daddah said military officers should be ineligible to run in the country's June 6th presidential elections.
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