The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU) is keenly following the political situation in Mauritania in light of the communiqué adopted by the 151st meeting of the Peace and Security Council (PSC), held in New York on 22 September 2008.

The quality of governance improved in nearly two-thirds of sub-Saharan African nations between 2005 and 2006. Liberia showed the biggest leap in government performance in the period, while Mauritania deteriorated the most.

Mauritania's armed forces intervened last month to overthrow the elected government because it had allowed the social, economic and security conditions to deteriorate so badly that it threatened the country's foundations, the General Assembly heard today.

An ambush mid-September against the national army in which at least 10 Mauritanian soldiers were killed is fuelling new speculation about the country's future and its ability to fight this latest Al Qaeda problem.

Alleged terrorist attacks on 14 September in Tourine in the northeast killed 11 soldiers and their civilian guide, confirmed Mauritania's newly-installed defence ministry on 20 September. Analysts say the economy can ill-afford this additional blow in the face of donor sanction threats.

In a country that imports about 70 percent of its food, and where the UN estimates more than one million suffer from chronic malnutrition, some donors fear an extended embargo on development aid may hit not only the power-grabbing military, but also civilians.

At the initiative of the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Mr. Jean Ping, a consultative and coordination meeting on the situation in Mauritania was held in Addis Ababa, at the Headquarters of the Commission, on 4 September 2008. In addition to the AU, the meeting was also attended by the United Nations and the League of Arab States, whose respective delegations were led by Ramtane Lamamra, Commissioner for Peace and Security, Said Djinnit, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa, and Ahmed Benhelli, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs of the Arab League.

Rwanda's four professionals summoned for national team duty have joined the Amavubi Stars' camp ahead of this weekend's 2010 World/Africa Nations Cup qualifier against Mauritania in Nouakchott.

Rwanda will greatly be banking on Olivier Karekezi and Henri Munyaneza in Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Mauritania in Nouakchott.

Rwanda's Amavubi Stars depart for Mauritania ahead of their crucial 2010 World/Africa Cup qualifying fixture set for September 6 in Nouakchott.

The Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General for West Africa, Mr. Said Djinnit, ended a two-day visit to Mauritania where he met with senior Government officials, members of the diplomatic community and representatives from U.N. agencies to discuss the political situation in the country and to review developments since his last visit there earlier this month.

There is a general mis conception that military coups are outdated, that they are out of fashion. People who hold this view forget that most armies in Africa who have held political power, are like lions who have tasted human blood.

The August 6, coup that deposed President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallah of Mauritania was vigorously and punitively rejected by most public bodies. The African Union, the political head prefect of the continent, suspended Mauritania's membership, the European Union expressed alarm and the US withheld $20 million Sh140 million in "humanitarian aid".

Rwanda'S Amavubi Stars are tirelessly working round the clock to pull off an away win against Mauritania so as to reach the last qualifying phase of the 2010 World/Africa Cup qualifiers.

The Security Council today (August 19) condemned the Mauritanian military’s overthrow on 6 August of the democratically elected Government of Mauritania and the State Council’s move to seize the powers of the presidency, and demanded the immediate release of President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi and the immediate restoration of the legitimate, constitutional, democratic institutions.

For a continent battling to catch up with the rest of the developed world, the news of yet another coup d'etat in Mauritania, was indeed a bad one.

Thousands of people in Mauritania have attended a rally in support of the leader of the recent coup, Gen Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz. The coup has also been backed by the majority of the country's politicians.

Colonel Ahmed Bamba Ould Baye, the permanent secretary at the High State Council of Mauritania, last morning, had an audience with the vice-president, Dr Aja Isatou Njie-Saidy, in her office at State House, Banjul.

More Africans are risking transatlantic crossings to Europe after Mauritania's military coup last week, according to Jerome Dukiya, a Catholic priest in the port town of Nouadhibou.

Reporter Ahmed Ould Neda of the Nouakchott-based independent news agency "Akbar Info" was arrested on 7 August 2008 while covering a demonstration against Mauritania's new military regime. Police confiscated Neda's camera with pictures of a police assault, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) reported.