President of Mauritania in hospital after being 'accidentally' shot by his OWN troops

• Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was shot after a military patrol opened fire on the presidential convoy
• President reassured the public from his hospital bed that it was an accident and that he is in good health
• Rumours Aziz - seen by western nations as a key ally in the fight against al Qaeda - was targeted by Islamists
• Leader came to power in Mauritania in 2009 following a coup in 2008
• Aziz, 55, has now been flown to France where he is being treated at a hospital in Paris

The president of Mauritania is in hospital after being 'accidentally' shot by his own army.
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was 'lightly wounded' after a military patrol mistakenly opened fire on the presidential convoy north of the capital Nouakchott on Saturday, the government said.
The incident triggered speculation that the 55-year-old, who came to power in the north African country following a coup in 2008, was in fact targeted by Islamists.

Friendly fire: President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is seen in hospital in Mauritania after being accidentally shot on Saturday

The leader underwent surgery in Nouakchott and spoke on Mauritanian television from his hospital bed on Sunday to reassure the public he was in good health. He has since been flown to France where he is receiving further treatment at a Paris hospital.

Abdel Aziz said on television that the shooting was an accident that occurred when his convoy approached a military barracks by an unpaved road north of Nouakchott.
Local media reports indicated the military unit had not been told of the president's trip.
Communications Minister Hamdi Ould Mahjoub said on national television after the incident: 'The president was shot on that occasion, but he is lightly wounded and his life is not threatened.'
He said the leader had been shot in the arm.

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is regarded by western nations as a key ally in the fight against al Qaeda

Abdel Aziz was elected in 2009 after coming to power in a 2008 coup, and he is now seen by Western nations, including France, as a key ally in tackling al Qaeda in the region.
Mauritania launched numerous military operations on Islamist bases in neighbouring Mali before a rebellion in that country split it in two, placing its vast desert in the hands of heavily-armed groups linked to al Qaeda.
Mauritania, which straddles black and Arab Africa on the West coast of the continent, has enjoyed several years of relative political stability. Abdel Aziz has faced some protests over complaints ranging from corruption to his poor handling of a recent food crisis.
The French government said in a statement that the Mauritanian president was admitted to the Percy-Clamart military hospital in Paris.
Mauritania has been destabilized of late by an al Qaeda affiliate, which has launched attacks from neighboring Mali.