Suspect in Comoros president assassination found dead in jail cell
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Comoros's public prosecutor said that a probe has been launched to determine the suspect's cause of death and the motive behind the president's attempted assassination.
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Comoros President Azali Assoumani poses for a portrait at the presidential palace in Moroni, on January 13, 2024. (AFP)
Comoros President Azali Assoumani's attempted assassin was found dead in his cell on Saturday, Reuters said, citing Comorian officials.
The suspect, identified as 24-year-old police officer Ahmed Abdou, was found "unresponsive" during his detention, the country's public prosecutor Ali Mohamed Djounaid told reporters Saturday, a day after the attempted assassination of the country's leader.
“When investigators went to see him, they found him lying on the ground; his body was lifeless,” Djounaid said in a news conference in Moroni.
“A doctor declared him dead,” he said, adding that a probe had been launched to determine his cause of death and the motive behind the assault.
Comoros President lightly wounded in funeral knife attack
President Assoumani was slightly injured in a knife attack on Friday while attending the funeral of a prominent religious leader, according to an official statement from the presidency.
"The President of the Republic Azali Assoumani was slightly wounded by a knife while attending the funeral," the statement read. It assured the public that his injuries were minor and that he had since returned home.
Government spokeswoman Fatima Ahamadael confirmed to AFP that the incident occurred in Salimani-Itsandra, on the outskirts of the capital, Moroni. "Thank God, his life is not in danger," she stated, refraining from providing additional details.
Comorian Energy Minister Aboubacar Saïd Anli also informed journalists on Saturday that “the president is doing well. He has no health problems; he is out of danger. A few stitches were given,” AP reported, quoting the minister.
