FILE - Gen. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz speaks to the press shortly after being declared the victor in the previous day's presidential election, in central Nouakchott, Mauritania in this July 19, 2009 file photo. Aziz was shot in the arm by friendly fire Saturday Oct. 13, 2012 when a military unit opened fire on his convoy. The president was returning from a trip to the desert and the incident occurred 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the capital, Nouakchott. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, FILE)
October 14, 2012 - 9:22 AM
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania - Mauritania's government says President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is being transferred to Paris for treatment and examinations after being wounded when the military fired on his vehicle outside the capital.
Aziz spoke on national TV Sunday from his hospital bed in Mauritania to reassure the public he was in good health. He said the shooting was a mistake when his convoy approached a military barracks by an unpaved road north of Nouakchott.
The president's adviser said Aziz was going to Paris for further treatment.
Mauritania's Minister of Communication had said that Aziz was shot in the arm on Saturday. Reports in local media indicated the military unit had not been told of the president's trip.
Mauritania has been destabilized by an al-Qaida affiliate, which has launched attacks from neighbouring Mali.
News from © The Associated Press, 2012