VOA标准英语2009年-Mauritania Rejects AU Sanctions

Mauritania's military leaders are going ahead with plans for new elections in June, despite African Union sanctions meant to force the return of the toppled civilian¹ government.

Mauritania's military government says the African Union's decision to impose sanctions ignores everything soldiers have done to improve the country since toppling the nation's first freely-elected leader last August.

The secretary-general of the ruling council, Colonel Ahmedou Bemba Ould Baye, says the path the military has chosen for Mauritania is irreversible. He says AU sanctions not only fail to recognize what he says are the "positive developments" since last year's coup², but also the military's willingness to work toward a return to constitutional order.
　
General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (file photo)

The African Union's Peace and Security Council last week instructed member states to freeze the assets of and impose a travel ban on civilian and military members of the government in Nouakchott. The action was taken after military leader General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz ignored a deadline to reinstate toppled president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.

Communications Minister Mohamed Ould Meine says the sanctions will not change anything in Mauritania because the government is committed to organizing new elections in June. He says it is pressing ahead with voter registration³, and an extraordinary session of the National Assembly to nominate an independent electoral commission and to change the constitution to allow soldiers to run for office.

Pro-coup parliamentarian Sid Ahmed Ould Ahmed says he is shocked by the AU decision.

Ahmed says AU sanctions do not take into account the military's release of former President Abdallahi or the steps it is taking to resolve the crisis through new elections. As those were the main demands of the international community and the African Union, Ahmed says the decision to impose sanctions is clearly biased⁴ against Mauritania.

The African Union suspended Mauritania following the coup and refused to seat a delegation⁵ from the military government at last week's summit in Ethiopia.
　
Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi (file photo)

Opposition⁶ leaders and members of the toppled civilian government are also against the sanctions. Former president Abdallahi's spokesman says the sanctions are regrettable because they could lead to a tougher international embargo⁷ that would hurt the Mauritanian people. The African Union is passing its decision on to the United Nations.

Mauritanian engineer Seyid Ould Mohamed Vadel fears the economic impact of the AU action.

Vadel says the suspension of international assistance following the coup has made life more difficult. He says further action will increase that hardship, especially without international investment.

Former-colonial-power France and the World Bank suspended most of their assistance following the coup. The United States is blocking $15 million in military cooperation, more than $4 million in peacekeeping training, and $3 million in development assistance.

African leaders are not refusing to negotiate with General Aziz. The African Union says its sanctions should be accompanied by African and international efforts to work with all Mauritanian parties toward the rapid return to constitutional order.

That starts with reinstating President Abdallahi. But General Aziz says returning the president to power would not serve the greater interests of the Mauritanian people. He believes changing the constitution to allow soldiers to run for office best reflects what he calls Mauritania's "new political and cultural reality."

General Aziz is widely expected to run for president in the June vote, but has not publicly announced his candidacy.

1 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

2 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

3 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

4 biased   

a.有偏见的

参考例句：

• a school biased towards music and art 一所偏重音乐和艺术的学校
• The Methods: They employed were heavily biased in the gentry's favour. 他们采用的方法严重偏袒中上阶级。

5 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。