Mauritanian citizen arrested in Paris

The French authorities last week arrested an officer from Mauritania, who was participating in a training course in France, on the charge of practising torture in his country.

The French daily Le Point said that as soon as news of Monpelee's court has addressed the charge to Mauritanian Lt. Ali Ould Janah who is in a training course in the French military school to Nouakchott, the Mauritanian authorities burst into anger.

The reaction of Mauritania's government came on July 5, when it announced the expulsion of some 30 military collaborators in Mauritania and imposed entry visas on the French.

The French magazine stated that the suspended army official belongs to the tribe of Samaseyah, the tribe of the president, which occupies strategic positions in the state of Mauritania. Le Point added that this army officer is a former officer in the presidential guard.

Two human rights organizations in France addressed to him accusations that between 1990 and 1991 he tortured Mauritanians who were seeking asylum in France. The French magazine said that this incident took place when Mauritania started to chase "African Negroes" for opposing the authorities, and they were tortured and expelled by the thousands.

The magazine stressed that France's suspension of an army officer who is following up a training course in France in the course of cooperation between two countries, is an unprecedented event that will make governments which do not take human rights into consideration to think thoroughly.