The man arrested on Friday for attacking the president of the Comoros with a knife has been found dead in prison, authorities there said.
The attack took place during the funeral of a prominent religious leader and President Azali Assoumani was injured in the hand.
According to National Prosecutor Ali Mohamed Djounaid, the attacker was isolated in a cell after his arrest to calm him down.
He said a lifeless body was found on the floor of the cell on Saturday morning.
“A doctor has declared him dead. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of his death,” Djounaid told a news conference in the Indian Ocean capital Moroni.
As for the 65-year-old president, “he is doing well. He has no health problems, he is out of danger. He has had a few stitches,” Energy Minister Aboubacar Said Anli said, as quoted by the AFP news agency. He was also present at the press conference, which was attended by almost all the government ministers.
The motive for Friday afternoon’s attack is unclear, but authorities are investigating.
They have identified the man with the knife as a 24-year-old soldier named Ahmed Abdou, AFP reports.
Witnesses told AFP they saw the man in the room where people were paying their respects to the deceased.
They say the attacker injured the president’s hand in the stabbing attack before being restrained by one of the relatives.
President Azali first came to power in 1999 through a military coup.
After being out of office for a decade, he won a contested election in 2016 and was re-elected last January.
The vote was marred by allegations of vote fraud and was followed by two days of deadly protests.
Azali is accused of increasing his authoritarianism.
He served as Chairman of the African Union from 2023 to 2024.
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