PARIS, Aug 11 (Reuters) - France will suspend development aid to Mauritania and is ready to consider further sanctions with its European Union partners, President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said in a statement on Monday.

The aid freeze, which will not include humanitarian and food aid, adds to pressure on Mauritania's new military rulers after the African Union decided to suspend the West African country until democracy is restored.

"France has decided to freeze as of today its public development aid projects, except for humanitarian and food aid," Sarkozy's office said. The French statement also reiterated calls for the release of Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, the country's first democratically elected president, who was overthrown by the presidential guard.

"France urges the military junta to cooperate as quickly as possible with the African Union and the international community to ensure the rapid re-establishment of the constitutional order that emerged from the elections of March 2007," it said.

Abdallahi was arrested by soldiers during Wednesday's coup, along with Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed El Waghef and Interior Minister Mohamed Ould R'zeizim.

Waghef and R'zeizim were both released on Monday, but Abdallahi remained in custody, Boydiel Ould Houmaid, vice-president of their IDIL party, told Reuters in Nouakchott.

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