Mauritania's press union has accused the government of deliberately using an ongoing paper shortage to lock out private newspapers and favour only state-run publications, news agency AFP reports.

The union says that privately-run publications have not been able to print their copies for 10 days.

A government-run printing press which handles two-thirds of private publications suspended printing because of a shortage of paper, AFP reports.

In August, rights group Reporters Without Borders said that journalists in Mauritania were arrested and questioned "to reinforce the government's control over the private press".

It was "impossible to criticise the state's actions without being called a political opponent", the group added.