Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz will be transferred to France for medical treatments just a day after an army unit accidentally opened fire at his convoy outside the capital of Nouakchott.

"The president will be evacuated during the day to Paris for complementary care in France in a specialized hospital," said a security official on condition of anonymity on Sunday.

Before leaving the country, the president appeared on state television, assuring the public that his life was not in danger.

"I want to calm all citizens. The operation last night was a success thanks to the effectiveness of the medial team… I want to reassure them [people] about my health after this incident, which was committed in error by a military unit…Thanks be to God, there is no problem," said Aziz in a televised address before leaving the country.


On Saturday, an Army unit mistakenly fired on the president’s convoy as it was heading back toward the country's capital.

Abdel Aziz, won the country's 2009 presidential election and his term in office runs until 2014.

Press TV