The Mauritanian president who was accidentally shot and was undergoing treatment in Paris, was advised by doctors to remain there for a longer convalescence period, a diplomatic source said on Sunday.

"The president's health status has continued to be improved and today (Sunday), he spoke to a number of people on telephone who had called to inquire about his health status," the same source said.

The source affirmed that the president "is expected to return to Mauritania in the course of the first week of the month of November."

Peaceful demonstrations to express solidarity with president Ould Abdel Aziz were held in the last 48 hours on the Nouakchott streets.

The political parties had mobilized their members to welcome the president. At the same time, the opposition parties which had suspended their protest campaigns since the incident occurred on October 13, have threatened to go back to the streets "to demand for an explanation on the situation of institutional vacuum in the country since the time the president was evacuated to Paris."

President Ould Abdel Aziz was evacuated to France on October 14 for further treatment, after he was injured when a Mauritanian soldier accidentally shot at his motorcade on October 13.