Paris, France - Some Mauritanians in France on Monday invaded their embassy in Paris, in protest against the arrest, on Saturday in Nouakchott, of Abdoul Birane Wane, the national coordinator of the movement defending the rights of Black Mauritanians, diplomatic sources told PANA.

According to the sources, the protesters peacefully entered the embassy premises but disrupted consular activities.

'We are here to denounce the arbitrary arrest of our colleague, Birane Wane. We will stay here until the ambassador gives us reasons for the arrest”, a spokesperson for the demonstrators, Mamadou Abdou Sow, told PANA.

He said the protesters would take further action in France to secure the release of Mr. Wane.

Meanwhile, the sources said that the Mauritanian ambassador called in the police to eject the demonstrators from the embassy.

For months, many demonstrations against President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz have been held inside and outside Mauritania by Wane's movement which also sees the general census conducted recently as ploy to dispossess many black Mauritanians of their rights and citizenship.

Pana 06/12/2012