Mauritanian President Shooting: Accident or Assassination Attempt?

October 14, 2012 from Al Jazeera English

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, president of Mauritania, has made a televized appeal for calm after soldiers allegedly opened fire on his convoy by mistake. Following his statement, Abdel Aziz flew to Paris for medical treatment on Sunday. Al Jazeera's Mohammed Vall looks at whether the shooting was indeed an accident, or an attempt on the president's life.

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Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is the President of Mauritania. A career soldier and high-ranking officer, he was a leading figure in the August 2005 coup that deposed President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, and in August 2008 he led another coup, that toppled President Sidi Ould Cheik... Explore this topic

Mauritania

Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is an Arab Maghreb country in West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwe... Explore this topic

Shooting

Shooting is the act or process of firing firearms or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets, and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman. Shooting can take place in a shooting range ... Explore this topic

Paris

Paris is the capital and most populous city of France. It is situated on the river Seine, in the north of the country, at the heart of the Île-de-France region. Within its administrative limits, Paris has a population of about 2,230,000, and its metropolitan area is one of the... Explore this topic

Assassination

Assassination is the murder of a prominent person or political figure by a surprise attack, usually for payment or political reasons. A person who commits such an act is called an assassin. An assassination may be prompted by religious, ideological, political, or military moti... Explore this topic

Al Jazeera English

Al Jazeera English is an international 24-hour English-language news and current affairs TV channel headquartered in Doha, Qatar. It is the sister channel of the Arabic-language Al Jazeera. The station broadcasts news features and analysis, documentaries, live debates, current... Explore this topic

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Mauritania

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz

Shooting

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