(BRUSSELS) - The European Commission on Wednesday condemned the coup in Mauritania and theatened to suspend its cooperation and aid to the country.

EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel said the coup jeopardised cooperation "as we are finalising with the Mauritanian government a 156 million euro (241 million dollar) programme for 2008-2013 to add to assistance already in place".

Troops overthrew President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi after he tried to sack senior army officers accused of being behind a political crisis destabilising the country.

The EU's executive arm said the coup imperiled "the exemplary democratic advances which the country has made since the 2005 coup d'etat."

The commission said it would continue to monitor closely events in Mauritania.

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