NOUAKCHOTT, Aug 7: Mauritanian police on Thursday broke up a protest by hundreds of people against an army coup in the West African nation which has been internationally condemned despite a junta promise to hold new elections.

The European Union called for the release of President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, the country’s first democratically elected leader, and his prime minister who were detained after the army takeover on Wednesday.

The Arab League and African Union each expressed concern and sent missions to Nouakchott, where a top official in Abdallahi’s party said police fired teargas to end the rally in support of the president.

“We wanted to organise a peaceful demonstration, our protesters were only armed with slogans and portraits of the president. The police stopped us by firing teargas,” party secretary-general Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Dahmane said.

One woman was injured during the protest in the capital, he added.

Coup supporters: Earlier, around 1,000 people also marched through the capital in support of coup leader General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who seized control hours after being sacked as head of the presidential guard.

Pro-coup demonstrators marched alongside vehicles bearing giant portraits of the general and chanted “Aziz, Aziz” as they marched to the presidential palace.

Addressing the crowd at a rally outside the presidential palace at the end of the march, Abdel Aziz promised to solve country’s problems in his first public speech since taking control.

“I will work to solve all the problems this country is confronted with,” said the general, who was flanked by members of the ruling junta.

Police in riot gear were posed at strategic junctions around the capital.

But the junta promised to quickly hold new elections as it confronted international condemnation of Aballahi’s detention.

The junta said in a statement it would “supervise the holding of presidential elections enabling the relaunch of the democratic process in the country and to reshape it on a perennial basis.”

—AFP