Commonwealth Secretary General Emeka Anyaoku: "The country need to pick itself up"

The British Foreign Secretary, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said he hoped there would be "an opening for stable transition to an early return to democracy."

The same view was voiced in Washington. US State Department spokesman James Rubin said: "We believe there should be a civilian transition in Nigeria, a transition that allows for a genuine democratic process, including oppposition parties."

Chief Anyaoku: Commonwealth hopes

The head of the Commonwealth Chief Emeka Anyaoku, himself a Nigerian, told BBC World Service television: "The Commonwealth would hope and would expect that the Nigerians will decide to go back to the way of democracy and in so doing will gain re-admission to the Commonwealth."

African leaders observed a minute's silence at their annual summit in Burkina Faso to pay their respects to General Abacha.

Delegates said Nigerian officials formally informed the closed session of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) summit of Abacha's unexpected death.

Dismay at death

In Sierra Leone his death was greeted with dismay.

Kabbah: Regained power with Nigerian help

Hundreds of people gathered in Freetown to mourn the general.

He was regarded as a hero there after Nigerian troops helped overthrow a military junta and restore the democratically-elected President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah to power.

Togo's Foreign Minister Koffi Panou expressed "sadness" at the death of General Abacha.

He said: "This is the death of a man, a head of state of a country with which Togo and its president had the best of relations.