Newsletter No. 1402
News-Analysis
July 4, 2009

 

TOKYO WELCOMES RETURN TO CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER IN MAURITANIA

In June, Mauritania made major strides toward the return of a constitutional order. It will be recalled that there was a military coup in the country last August (see Shingetsu Newsletter No. 1105). Recently, however, an agreement was reached, brokered by Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, by which the legal President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi officially resigned his office and allowed a transitional government to take over for the purpose of holding fair elections on July 18th. Meanwhile, coup leader General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz has turned in his uniform and will stand as another candidate in the election.

Hopefully, both sides will respect the outcome of the elections, whatever they turn out to be. Tokyo’s position on this matter continues to be correct.

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Situation in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
June 29, 2009

Japan welcomes the news of the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity on June 26 (local time) in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, where an illegal military regime had been in power since the coup d'etat in August 2008.

Japan appreciates the formation of the Transitional Government under Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and the inauguration of an acting president upon President Abdallahi's resignation, in accordance with the Dakar Agreement that was signed on June 4, as this is a positive step toward restoration of the country's constitutional order and democratic system. Japan also strongly expects that various concerned parties in Mauritania continue to make efforts towards fulfillment of the Dakar Agreement, and that the presidential election scheduled to be held on July 18 will be carried out in a fair and peaceful manner.