UN special envoy to help revive Mauritania's political dialogue

Said Jinnit, the UN secretary general's special envoy to West Africa, arrived in Nouakchott on Tuesday night to restart the inclusive and open dialogue between Mauritania's ruling party and the opposition, according to diplomatic sources.

The UN official will meet with all the major parties that were signatories to the Dakar political accord.

The Dakar accord, which was signed in June 2009 between Mauritania's major political parties under the supervision of an international contact group, led to the ending of the country's political crisis resulted from the Aug. 6, 2008 military coup.

Among the major recommendations of this accord was the requirement for an open and inclusive dialogue between the ruling party and the opposition.

The UN envoy came amid the standoff between the two side which stick to their positions without dialogue.

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz said the Dakar accord is no longer a point of reference, while the opposition insists that the Dakar accord is the only point of reference through which they can discuss with the ruling party.

Source: Xinhua