UN chief hails release of deposed president of Mauritania from house arrest
22/12/2008 16:16
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday extended his welcome to reports
that the deposed president of Mauritania, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, has been
released from house arrest.
Ban, in a statement issued through his
spokesperson, said that he also welcomed "the removal of other restrictions
imposed on him since he was deposed in a coup d'etat on Aug. 6, 2008."
"The
secretary-general reiterates his call for the prompt restoration of
constitutional order in Mauritania in the interest of peace and respect for the
rule of law in the country," the statement said.
The former president had
been under house arrest in a southern village in Mauritania since Aug. 6 when
the military took power in a coup. Under international pressure, the rulers had
recently announced that the former president would be freed unconditionally
before the end of December.
Xinhua
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