Mauritanian president mistakenly shot, to go abroad for treatment: officials
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz after winning the July 19, 2009, presidential election with 52 percent of the vote.
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has been severely wounded by a gunshot and will be flown out of the country for additional treatment, officials told Reuters.
Communications Minister Hamdi Ould Mahjoub announced on state television that Aziz was accidentally fired on by a military convoy late Saturday but his life is not in danger, according to BBC News.
More from GlobalPost: Compared to his predecessors, Obama has done little for Africa
Mahjoub said the West African leader took the shot in the arm and the immediate surgery was successful.
BCC cited Mauritanian radio as initially describing the incident as an assassination attempt.
Mahjoub today assured the nation that Aziz is safe, telling viewers: "The Mauritanian people can be reassured, the president is fine… He got out of the vehicle unassisted upon arrival at the hospital, where he walked in without difficulty," reported BBC, whose correspondent reported hundreds of concerned citizens surrounding the military hospital.
The 55-year-old general took control in a military coup four years ago and won presidential elections in 2009, according to BBC.
Without federal support, local stations, especially in rural and underserved areas, face deep cuts or even closure. Vital public service alerts, news, storytelling, and programming like The World will be impacted. The World has weathered many storms, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to being your trusted source for human-centered international news, shared with integrity and care. We believe public media is about truth and access for all. As an independent, nonprofit newsroom, we aren’t controlled by billionaire owners or corporations. We are sustained by listeners like you.
Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World.