Dr. Kwesi Jonah, a Senior Fellow of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) on Wednesday called on the African Union to send a strong signal to the coup makers in Mauritania that the continent detests overthrown of legitimate governments. “The AU must be firm and decisive in compeling the coup leaders to immediately form a caretaker government to manage affairs and prepare for democratic election within 12 months,” Dr Jonah told the Ghana News Agency on the Mauritania coup. Soldiers in Mauritania have overthrown the country's first democratically elected leader and formed a state council to rule the country. They rounded up President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi along with his Prime Minister Yahia Ould Ahmed El-Ouakef in a bloodless coup. President Abdallahi came to power through free and fair polls last year, taking over from a military junta. The ousted President was held after he tried to dismiss the military's top commanders including the head of the Presidential Guard, Gen. Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, who responded by launching the coup. Media reports monitored in Accra by GNA indicates the troops were out on the streets of the capital, Nouakchott, where tear gas was fired at about 50 protesters. Dr. Jonah said the Mauritania coup is against the AU’s own protocols and sets a bad example for the continent’s movement towards consolidating democratic governance. He said the coup makers must not be given any room to operate as it will give a wrong signal to other disgruntled military officers and politicians to disrupt democratically elected governments across the continent. Events leading to the coup indicated that on Monday, 48 Members of Parliament of the ruling party walked out from the House allegedly manipulated by some military generals. The Nouakchott airport was reported to have been closed down whilst scores of people had gathered on street corners to discuss the coup and the fate of the President and Prime Minister. Meanwhile the AU, South Africa and Nigeria have all condemned the coup, and demanded a return to constitutional government immediately. The US State Department and the European Commission also decried the coup, with the Commission warning it would suspend aid to Mauritania. Mauritania has a long history of coups, with the military involved in nearly every government since independence from France in 1960. Presidential election was held in 2007 which ended a two-year period of military rule - the product of a military coup in 2005. The elections were deemed by observers to have been free and fair and heralded a new era of democracy. Source: GNA