The leaders of a military coup in Mauritania have promised to hold elections as soon as possible.

The military rulers, who seized power in a bloodless coup on Wednesday, said in a statement that the elections would be "free and transparent".

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There was widespread international condemnation of the coup.

The new ruling council said in a statement that 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".

"These elections, which will be held in the shortest possible period, will be free and transparent and will bring for the future a continued and harmonious functioning of all the constitutional powers," the statement said.

Mauritania has a long history of coups, with the military involved in nearly every government since its independence from France in 1960.

Presidential elections held in 2007 ended a two-year period of military rule - the product of a military coup in 2005.

The elections were deemed to have been free and fair and appeared to herald a new era of democracy.

Tear gas

On Wednesday the president tried to dismiss four senior army officers, including the head of the presidential guard, Gen Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, who responded by launching the coup.

It was later announced that he had formed an 11-member military council to rule the country.

After detaining the president and prime minister the military council said Mr Abdallahi - who came to power in polls last year, taking over from a military junta - was now a "former president".

Troops deployed on Nouakchott's streets fired tear gas to disperse about 50 protesters as the council annulled his previous decree dismissing the military chiefs.

UN chief Ban Ki-Moon called for the "restoration of constitutional order". Condemnation has also come from the US, the EU, and the African Union (AU).

Meanwhile US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for the immediate release of President Abdallahi and Prime Minister Yahia Ould Ahmed El-Ouakef, both of whom were detained by troops on Wednesday.

"The United States looks to all of our international partners to condemn this anti-democratic action," she said in a statement.

The European Union warned that it may suspend aid to Mauritania.

The AU also denounced the coup, demanded a return to constitutional government and said it was sending an envoy to the capital, Nouakchott, immediately.

Unstable

Mauritania has been in the grip of a political crisis since a vote of no confidence in the cabinet two weeks ago.

On Monday, 48 MPs walked out of the ruling party.

Reports suggest some of the generals orchestrated the mass resignation, says the BBC's James Copnall in the region.

Earlier this year, however, the president dismissed the government amid protests over soaring food prices.

The cabinet that replaced it has been dogged by instability, lacking the support of a moderate Islamist party and a major opposition group that were in the former government.

Mauritania is one of the world's poorest nations as well as its newest oil producer.

(BBC)

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