EU Threatens Sanctions On Mauritania Junta Chiefs

`Sanctions against the Mauritanian people, as poor as they are, would be impossible to accept,` Kouchner said.

The European Union is considering applying individual sanctions against members of Mauritania's military government, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Friday.

Speaking a day after the EU's deadline for the restoration of constitutional rule in the Saharan Islamic state expired, Kouchner said any sanctions would target those who overthrew elected President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.

"The EU said some days ago that it is working on sanctions. This is certainly one perspective," he said.

"It must be, if decided, individual sanctions."

On Oct. 20, the EU, whose revolving presidency is held by France this year, threatened to apply sanctions if the military administration led by Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz did not take steps to restore democractic government within a month.

"Sanctions against the Mauritanian people, as poor as they are, would be impossible to accept," Kouchner said.

Former presidential guard chief Aziz overthrew Abdallahi, Mauritania's first freely elected leader, in a bloodless coup on Aug. 6.

Since then, the United States has imposed travel restrictions on some members of the military government and frozen some of its aid to the country, a big exporter of iron ore which also started producing oil in 2006.

U.S. Marines pulled out of training Mauritanian troops in anti-terrorism techniques, but Washington has indicated it would cooperate on the most serious terrorism issues, diplomats have said.

Aziz has pledged to beef up military patrols after a spate of al Qaeda attacks that began with the killing for four French tourists last year.

Former colonial power France, and the World Bank, have also suspended some of their aid, but at the same time Europe wants Mauritania to continue efforts to prevent illegal migration from Africa to the EU.

The African Union has suspended Mauritania's membership over the coup, but several AU members in the region appear to have given tacit approval to the military takeover. Abdallahi was transferred from house arrest in capital Nouakchott to his home town on Nov. 13, a move diplomats said at the time was nowhere near enough to meet international demands.

"We must find a solution as soon as possible. Coming back to consitutional power is the way," Kouchner said as he was leaving the African Union Peace and Security Council meeting on Mauritania in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.