(dpa) - The United States condemned the coup in Mauritania on Wednesday after the military seized power after the sacking of a senior officers.
"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the Mauritanians military's overthrow of the democratically elected government of Mauritania," the State Department's acting deputy spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said.
The military ousted President Sidi Ould Cheikh and Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf and placed them under house arrest, after the president sacked high level officers.
"We call on the military to release the president and the prime minister and to restore the legitimate, constitutional, democratically elected government immediately," Gallegos said.