By John Ikani
A man who was arrested for attempting to stab the president of Comoros on Friday has been found dead in his prison cell, according to authorities.
The incident occurred during a funeral for a respected religious leader, during which President Azali Assoumani sustained a minor injury to his hand.
National prosecutor Ali Mohamed Djounaid said the suspect was placed in solitary confinement after his arrest to help him calm down.
By Saturday morning, the man’s body was discovered lifeless on the floor of his cell.
“A doctor declared him dead. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of his death,” Mr. Djounaid told the media at a press conference in the capital city of Moroni.
Energy Minister Aboubacar Saïd Anli, who also spoke at the press conference, reassured the public that the 65-year-old president was “doing well. He has no health problems, he is out of danger. A few stitches were given,” AFP reported. Many members of the government were in attendance at the briefing.
The reason for Friday’s attack remains unknown, though authorities are looking into it.
The assailant has been identified as a 24-year-old soldier named Ahmed Abdou, AFP reports.
Witnesses told AFP they saw the attacker in the room where mourners were paying their respects.
They said the suspect injured the president’s hand before being subdued by one of the attendees.
President Azali originally came to power in 1999 through a military coup.
After stepping away from politics for ten years, he returned in 2016 following a disputed election and was re-elected last January.
The election was plagued by accusations of vote-rigging, sparking two days of violent unrest.
Azali has faced accusations of increasing authoritarianism in recent years.
He recently concluded his term as the chairperson of the African Union, which he held from 2023 to 2024.
