ECOWAS confirms withdrawal of Mauritania from group
Mauritania, Economics, 12/28/1999

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has confirmed receiving a message from Mauritania on its decision to withdraw its membership from the Nigeria-based 16-nation grouping, the pan-African news agency PANA.

"We are in receipt of a fax, which gave no reason for the withdrawal," an ECOWAS source told PANA Monday.

Mauritania is considered one of the heavily-indebted members of the community, which has preoccupied itself in the past decade, with settling political and security crises at the expense of the sub-regional economic integration for which it was set up almost 25 years ago.

Mauritanian Prime Minister Cheikh el Afia Ould Mohammed Khouma, speaking from Nouakchott, was quoted as having blamed the "decisions" of the last ECOWAS summit in Lome, Togo for his country's action.

The community will launch a single currency zone by 2004.

Already, eight French-speaking ECOWAS members, under the aegis of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), have decided to float their own single French franc currency zone by 1 January.

Mauritania is, however, believed to be opposed to the single currency move, insisting that this would undermine its sovereignty and local currency, the Ouguiya.

Nouakchott's decision, coming at a time leaders are urging greater cooperation, is expected to deal a serious blow to the sub-regional efforts for economic integration.

Previous Stories:
  World bank to reduce Mauritania's debt   (12/21/1999)
  Tourism cooperation between Germany and Mauritania   (11/11/1999)
  Mauritanian minister assures IMF, World Bank support for development policy   (10/6/1999)

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