Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was shot Saturday and flown to Paris for treatment. Here he delivers a speech at a meeting of North African and European leaders, the 5 Plus 5 Summit, in the courtyard of the Auberge de Castille in Valletta, Malta on Oct. 5. (Matthew Mirabelli/AFP/GettyImages)

After being shot in an alleged accident, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was flown to Paris to seek further medical treatment, but insisted he was in good health.

Abdel Aziz on Sunday made a televised statement, appealing for calm on Sunday, reported Al Jazeera television.

“I want to calm all citizens. The operation last night was a success thanks to the effectiveness of the medical team,” he said on state-run television, according to the broadcaster.

Abdel Aziz added that he was shot because an army unit committed an “error” while traveling “on an unpaved road near” the town of Touela, Al Jazeera reported. Other government officials said the shooting was “friendly fire” while his convoy was traveling to the capital of Nouakchott, according to CNN.

However, some witnesses told CNN they believe the shooting was actually an assassination attempt, as the armed men opened fire at the convoy and then ran off.

Abdel Aziz took power during a bloodless coup in 2009—one of many that the West African nation has endured over the past 50 or so years. The CIA termed his rule as a military junta, meaning he likely has enemies at home.

At the same time, he has led a military campaign against northern Africa-based Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which has tried to assassinate him several times, according to Al Jazeera.

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