Mauritania ? More than two-thirds of Mauritanian lawmakers endorsed last week’s army-led coup, urging world governments Wednesday to recognize the ruling junta as the legitimate government.

The parliamentarians signed a declaration backing the ouster of the desert nation’s democratically elected president, contrasting sharply with the international community’s condemnation of last week’s takeover.

The coup prompted the U.S. and France to freeze aid and the EU to threaten to do so, while the African Union suspended Mauritania from the 53-nation body.