NOUAKCHOTT, Aug 10: The Mauritanian general who led a coup last week defended the ousting of the country's president and said on Sunday initial international condemnation would not shake up the west African nation.

“I believe that the international community is not looking to destabilise Mauritania,” Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz said. “When it has all the information, it will turn in a positive direction.” In an interview, Ould Aziz said the ousted president and other top officials “are under house arrest, for their security and the security of the country. Justice exists in Mauritania and there is also a parliament which could be called on to judge them if necessary.” The former head of the presidential guards staged a coup on Wednesday overthrowing Mauritania's first democratically elected president after he tried to sack senior military officers.

As most of the international community denounced the bloodless coup, the African Union took the step on Friday of suspending Mauritania from the pan-African organisation until it restores constitutional government.

Ould Aziz said on Sunday he would do “everything to calm down feelings and bring Mauritanians closer together.” The 52-year-old general again insisted that the coup was aimed at “avoiding a catastrophe in the country” and eliminating the regime of “an elected president who acted in an irrational manner.” Over the weekend Ould Aziz said he had warned President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi — who is also accused of corruption — before the coup of consequences if he went through with plans to revamp the military.

“I telephoned him (Abdallahi) personally to explain to him the gravity of his decree and suggest he postpone it to avoid the worst,” Ould Aziz said in an interview on the Al-Jazeera television channel.—AFP