Mauritania's new ruler speaks out

Five days after the military putsch in Mauritania General Ould Abdel Aziz explained in an interview with the daily Libération the reasons for the coup: "We did not carry out a putsch! We simply reacted to a situation the Mauritanians did not want. Besides, one can see that the president has lost his supporters in the past few weeks. And as far as the reaction of the international community is concerned, it is quite normal. We have very good relations with these states. In the coming days and weeks they will calm down. ... The president almost destroyed his country's military and security system. We tried to bring him to his senses. ... But he did not want to listen. ... We will organise a vote of confidence among the political actors of all the different parties. We want to signalise good management in the economic sector and root out corruption."

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