[2] The attack occurred three weeks after Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz had claimed victory in the contested 2009 Mauritanian presidential election.

[1] The terrorist group, Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), claimed responsibility for both attacks.

[1] The attacker, a young man, was reportedly wearing a boubou, a traditional men's garment common in Mauritania and other regions of West Africa.

[1] Two employees of the French embassy, who were identified as paramilitary gendarmes, were jogging nearby at the time of the attack.

France reaffirms her determination to fight against terrorism alongside the Mauritanian authorities and people.