The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 151st meeting
held at ministerial level, in New York, on 22 September 2008, considered the situation in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania following the coup d’Etat that occurred in that country on 6 August 2008, and took the following decision:

Council,

1. Takes note of the briefing by the Commission on the situation in the Islamic
Republic of Mauritania and on the outcome of the different missions that were carried out in that country since 6 August 2008;

2. Expresses its profound appreciation to the Chairperson of the Commission
and to the Commissioner for Peace and Security for the efforts that they continue to deploy for the return to constitutional legality, and reiterates its firm support in this regard:

3. Express its serious concern at the fact that, despite the efforts deployed to
date, no progress has been made towards a rapid return to constitutional legality;

4. Recalls the pertinent provisions of the Constitutive Act of the AU, Algiers
Decision AHG (XXXV) of July 1999, the Lomé Declaration of July 2000 and the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council pertaining to unconstitutional changes of Governments, as well as of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance that Mauritania ratified on 7July 2008, thus becoming the first Member State to adhere to this instrument;

5. Reiterates its firm condemnation of the coup d’Etat and all other measures
taken by its authors to consolidate the situation created by this coup d’Etat and
reiterates the legitimacy of the constitutional order represented by the institutions democratically elected during the legislative and presidential elections held in November 2006 and March 2007, respectively;

6. Demands the return to constitutional order through the unconditional restoration of Mr. Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, in his functions by 6 October 2008, and warns the authors of the coup d’Etat and their civilian supporters against the risk of sanctions and isolation if they do not respond positively to this demand;

7. Declares null and void all measures of constitutional, institutional and legislative nature taken by the military authorities and that followed the coup d’Etat of 6 August,

8. Urges all Member States of the AU and the international community as a whole to reject as illegitimate and illegal all actions and initiatives of the authors of the coup d’Etat aimed at obstructing the restoration of constitutional order;

9. Welcomes the outcome of the consultative and coordination meetings on the
situation in Mauritania held at the initiative of the Commission, between the African Union, Arab League, the United Nations, the International Organization of La Francophonie and the European Union. In this context, Council requests all AU partners, including the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, the League of Arab States and la Francophonie, to continue to support the efforts being deployed for the return to legality and the search for a solution to the crisis consistent with the Mauritanian Constitution. In this regard, Council encourages the Chairperson of the Commission to pursue consultations with all the partners concerned on actions to be undertaken with a view to strengthening the contribution of the international community to the resolution of the crisis in Mauritania, with the full support of all the parties and in accordance to the Constitution of the country ;

10. Decides to remain seized of the matter.