- The man who led Mauritania's last week coup d'etat has been accorded "full presidential powers."
Acting on a constitutional ordinance, the military high council of state - a new organ created by coup leaders, bestowed presidential powers on General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.
Until he led renegade soldiers to dislodge President Sidi Ahmed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi from power, General Abdel Aziz was the head of presidential guards.
General Aziz is now empowered to "nominate the Prime Minister and Ministers of a new government."
In an 11-article law, the junta high council of state justified the military intervention of 6 August, which the coup leaders said was precipitated by "obstacles to democratic institutions, the worsening living conditions and the removal from office of top military leaders without justification."
The ousted President and Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waqef were held by the coup leaders until last night when Mr. Waqrf was freed alongside three former government officials. Immediately after his release, the former Premier spoke to protesters against the coup.
"The president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi is feeling well. He is grateful for your struggle to restore constitutional order," he told protesters in the capital Nouachott.
The overthrow of Mr. Abdallahi who was voted into office barely a year and a half was widely condemned by the international community, with some world powers withholding foreign aid to the desert West African country.
Meanwhile, al-Qaeda's North African wing led by Abu Musa'ab el-Wadoud, has issued a statement, calling for jihad [Islamic holy war] in Mauritania. The group is pushing for Islamic rule after the overthrow of the democratic regime of Mr. Abdallahi.
The goup condemned "apostate regimes ruling the Islamic Maghreb. Those regimes that enslave their people have always raised the banner of democracy in their fight against Islam, while people see that most of them assumed power through military coups," said Mr. Wadoud.
"The latest coup in Mauritania could never have succeeded without the agreement of America, France and Israel," the group held, warning Muslims to be wary of all forms of unbeliever democracy, which are mere ploys by the Zionist-Crusader alliance to trick people.
The Maghreb terrorist group asked Mauritania's Islamic population to wake up and prepare for the war as the cross is marching towards them.
"O people of Mauritania, you need to get back to Islam and don't hesitate to wage holy war to fight the Jews and the Christians together with the apostate governments. Raise the banner of jihad and let us bleed and have our limbs severed until we bring back a caliphate styled along the lines of The Prophet's way."
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