[2] Abdallahi soon angered General Aziz and his supporters, however, by reaching out to Islamic hardliners, by freeing several suspected terrorists, and by using state funds to build a mosque on the grounds of the presidential palace.

[2] Early in the morning of August 6, Abdallahi announced that he was firing several senior army officers, and at 9:20 a.m. he was seized and captured from his home by members of the Presidential Security Battalion (BASEP for Bataillon de la sécurité présidentielle) in a military coup.

[7] Presidential spokesman Abdoulaye Mamadou Ba said in a statement that President Abdallahi, Prime Minister Waghef, and Interior Minister Mohamed Ould R'zeizim had been arrested by renegade senior army officers, unknown troops, and a group of generals, and were being held under house arrest at the Presidential Palace in Nouakchott.

According to PNDD-ADIL Secretary-General Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Dahmane, this was a peaceful protest in which 200 to 300 people participated, carrying portraits of Abdallahi, and was broken up by police with tear gas.

[18] Abdel Aziz also gave these assurances regarding freedoms and the continuity of democratic institutions, such as Parliament, in a meeting with Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Ahmed bin Heli.

The National Front for the Defense of Democracy also announced plans for more demonstrations and activities opposing the coup, while also stating that they would only hold protests with the junta's permission.

Abdel Aziz also said that Abdallahi was being held at the Palace of the Congress, was "in good conditions", had not complained, and would be released in a matter of days or weeks.

[21] However, Abdel Aziz was quoted in an interview with Asharq al-Awsat published on August 9 as saying Abdallahi would not be released for "the time being", citing "security reasons"; he said that the junta was trying to establish an atmosphere of calm.

Abdel Aziz also criticized Abdallahi for releasing Islamic extremists from prison and allowing the Islamist Tewassoul party to join Waghef's government in May; he asserted that this was "irresponsible" and did not reflect Mauritania's identity as a "moderate Muslim country".

[22] Also on August 10, Abdel Aziz did not exclude the possibility that he or other members of the junta could run for president, although he said that the issue had not been decided and that other things needed to be dealt with first.

However, 67 of the 95 deputies in the National Assembly released a statement supporting the coup and describing it as "the logical and indisputable result of President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi's behavior to stall the republic's institutions".

Meanwhile, Abdallahi's daughter said that the military had been involving itself in politics for two and a half months, and the PNDD-ADIL announced on August 10 that the junta had allowed it to reopen its offices.

[25] Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Ahmed bin Heli said on August 11, after returning from Mauritania, that he had asked to meet with Abdallahi but was not allowed to do so.

[38] He subsequently travelled to Nouadhibou in northern Mauritania in order to participate in an anti-coup protest there, but was arrested upon arrival on August 21.

[41] On August 26, the RFD, the Alliance for Justice and Democracy - Movement for Renovation (AJD-MR), and the Movement for Direct Democracy (MDD) announced their decision to not participate in the new government that was being formed under the junta[43] because the junta had not clarified whether or not someone serving in the military would be allowed to stand as a presidential candidate[43][44] and had not specified how long it intended to remain in power.

[42] On September 2, the National Assembly chose four deputies to sit on a High Court[49] that would try Abdallahi on allegations such as corruption and obstruction of Parliament.

[51] Laghdaf announced on September 6 that an "open and constructive debate" would be held, in which members of parliament, political parties, and other organizations would be invited to participate.

[53][54] On September 14, deputies present in the National Assembly unanimously approved a resolution that called for a presidential election to be held in 12 to 14 months.

The resolution also called for an independent electoral commission and for the exclusion of candidacies by military officers and those who "exercised executive responsibilities susceptible of influencing voters".

[56] In an ambush carried out by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb on September 14, 11 soldiers and a civilian were captured; a week later, their decapitated bodies were found.

[57] On September 23, the African Union Peace and Security Council released a statement demanding Abdallahi's "unconditional restoration" by October 6.

[61] Speaking on Al Jazeera on September 28, former Abdallahi spokesman Abdoulaye Mamadou Ba called for popular protests to be held on October 5 as part of "a day of democracy".

Speaking to Radio France Internationale on September 30, Laghdaf said that all demonstrations, whether they opposed the junta or supported it, would be banned, emphasizing that "what we need now is calm".

According to UFP president Mohamed Ould Mouloud, the "protests constitute a scathing denial of the junta's pretense that the situation in Mauritania is calm, that everybody accepts the coup and that people here have freedom of expression and live in a democracy".

[65] The eight-member Mauritanian delegation, led by Justice Minister Tidjane Bal, met with Jean Ping in Addis Ababa on October 7.

The Mauritanian Information Agency (AMI) reported on the same day that the AU appeared to be taking a less hostile position since its deadline passed.

Seeking Abdallahi's "immediate and unconditional release" and the restoration of constitutional rule, the European Union said in an October 20 statement that it was giving the junta a period of one month, after which "consultations will be terminated and appropriate measures will be proposed".

Speaking for the National Front for the Defense of Democracy, Maouloud expressed satisfaction with the EU's ultimatum and remarked that "the junta has not managed to deceive the European Union".

He expressed concern that continued military rule would negatively affect Mauritania's relations with the rest of the world, potentially including economic sanctions.

[85] Libyan Leader and AU Chairman Muammar Gaddafi attempted to mediate the situation during a visit to Mauritania that concluded on March 12.