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| International Contact Group calls for assistance to Mauritania
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Dakar, Senegal (PANA) -
The International Contact Group on Mauritania (ICG-M) ha
s called on all bilateral and multilateral partners of the West African country
t
o provide it needed assistance, a statement by the institution made available to
PANA on Sunday said.
The call followed the meeting of ICG-M held Thursday in Nouakchott, the Mauritan
ian capital, under the chairmanship of the Commissioner for Peace and Security o
f
the African Union (AU), Mr. Ramtane Lamamra.
According to the statement, the International Contact Group called on the AU to
consult with related Mauritanian stakeholders on the possibility of holding a me
e
ting to mobilise greater support to Mauritania.
The meeting is expected to be held in the first half of 2010.
Moreover, the International Contact Group during its meeting hailed the steps ta
ken towards the implementation of the Dakar Agreement, "including the resumption
of constitutional order and the holding of presidential polls on 18 July 2009, w
h
ich was considered transparent, credible and fair by all international observers
.
"
During their stay in Mauritania, members of the International Contact Group were
received in audience by Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, with who
m
they discussed the prevailing situation in Mauritania since the presidential el
e
ction, as well as prospects to renew the inclusive national dialogue and strengt
h
en international cooperation for the country's development.
In this regard, they underscored "with satisfaction his absolute availability fo
r the national political dialogue and the consolidation of the reconciliation pr
o
cess."
Similarly, they held separate consultations with delegations of Mauritanian poli
tical poles, signatories to the Framework Agreement, including the Union for the
Republic (UPR), headed by Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Mohamed Lemine, the Rally of Demo
c
ratic Forces (RFD), led by Mohamed Abderrahmane Ould Moine and the National Fron
t
for the Defence of Democracy (FNDD), led by Mohamed Ould Mouloud.
On this occasion, the representatives of the three political poles reaffirmed "t
heir commitment to the Article 4-vii of the Dakar Agreement on the inclusive nat
i
onal political dialogue," according to the statement.
Among other decisions, the article stated that "in the wake of presidential elec
tions, the inclusive national dialogue will be continued and intensified between
all Mauritanian political forces in particular for strengthening the foundations
and practice of pluralist democracy, as well as preventing unconstitutional chan
g
es of government, including the reform of national security institutions."
It also stressed the need for the development and adoption of reforms that can s
trengthen the good functioning and balance of the institutions of the Republic,
a
s well as the possibility of political arrangements for partnership in the exerc
i
se of power and prospects for holding early elections.
The Group recommended that the implementation of this point of the Agreement be
done "in a timely and consensual manner".
In order to consolidate the progress that has been achieved in Mauritania since
June, the International Contact Group, while considering the stands, concerns as
well as reservations expressed by the RFD and the FNDD, encouraged participants,
stressng the repeated availability of all parties to engage in an inclusive dial
o
gue.
The Contact Group underscored that it had accomplished its mandate to participat
e in the restoration of constitutional order in Mauritania, as noted by the AU P
e
ace and Security Council (PSC) in its press release on 29 June, 2009.
However, it decided to keep on supporting the efforts of the government and of v
arious other stakeholders in Mauritania as part of an ad- hoc support mechanism
t
o consolidate the democratic process and stimulate the mobilisation of economic
a
nd financial assistance needed for the economic and social recovery in Mauritani
a
.
The meeting of the ICG on Mauritania was enhanced by the presence of representat
ives of Libya, an African member of the UN Security Council, China, US, France a
n
d Russia, which are permanent members of the UN Security Council, as well as Mal
i
, a country that is assuming the Presidency of the AU Peace and Security Council
for September 2009.
Senegal, in its capacity as facilitator of the political dialogue between the po
litical poles in Mauritania, was represented at the meeting by its Minister of S
t
ate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cheikh Tidiane Gadio.
The International Organisation of Francophony (OIF), the United Nations (UN), th
e Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the League of Arab States (LAS)
a
nd the European Union (EU) were also represented at the meeting.
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| Dakar - 13/09/2009 |
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