CAIRO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Cairo-based Arab League (AL) has decided to send a high-level delegation to look into the situation in Mauritania after a military coup in the country ousted its president.

The AL delegation, led by Assistant Secretary General for political affairs of the pan-Arab body Ahmed ben Helli, will head for Mauritania on Friday, the Egyptian MENA news agency reported on Thursday.

The decision to send the delegation to Mauritania aims at preserving the security and stability of the country and protecting its democratic process, said the AL.

Ben Helli said he is expected to meet with the Mauritanian political leaders and the leader of the coup.

The AL issued a statement earlier in the day, voicing its concerns about the situation in the Northwestern African country and urging to settle the problems through dialogue.

On Wednesday, the Mauritanian military staged a coup in the capital of Nouakchott, arresting President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi and Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf.

The coup leaders have announced the establishment of a State Council, claiming that Abdallahi was no longer president.