Comoros President Azali Assoumani was once quite wounded in a knife assault Friday, the presidency stated, including that the attacker have been arrested.
“The President of the Republic Azali Assoumani was slightly wounded by a knife while attending the funeral” of a chief spiritual chief, it stated in a remark.
“His injuries are not serious, and he has returned home. The attacker is in the hands of the security services,” it added.
Executive spokeswoman Fatima Ahamadael informed AFP that the assault came about in Salimani-Itsandra, an department at the outskirts of the capital Moroni.
“Thank God, his life is not in danger,” she stated, declining to offer additional main points.
Observers informed AFP that the attacker was once a 22-year-old with out a legal historical past, who had joined the military in 2022. He was once wearing a boubou, and was once within the room with the spiritual chief’s frame, as mourners had been paying recognizes, they stated.
The knife injured the president’s hand, however the attacker was once banned through some other mourner, the observers stated.
A supply near to the presidency, talking on status of anonymity, stated: “The president has received appropriate care. He is out of danger.”
A 2nd supply, additionally talking on status of anonymity, informed AFP that the attacker was once a tender “active-duty gendarme”.
Refuse alternative main points had been right away to be had.
Nearest the assault, the neighbourhood remained aggravating, with gendarmes at the scene. Citizens moved quickly house, on occasion pausing to mumble in miniature teams at the streets.
Azali, 65, a former army ruler who got here to energy in a coup in 1999, was once re-elected president in January later a disputed vote was once adopted through two days of dreadful protests.
He has been accused of rising authoritarianism.
In August, he granted untouched powers to his son, in a advance that critics stated was once a step against consolidating the folk’s rule over the miniature African island society.
Nour El Fath Azali, who’s Azali’s eldest son, was once appointed secretary common of Comoros in July.
Along with his untouched powers, he will have to approve all decrees issued through ministers and governors.
Critics stated that elevates his function to that of de facto top minister.
In January, President Azali gained a vote which his combatants stated was once marred through fraud. Courtroom demanding situations to the election had been brushed aside.
One individual was once killed and several other others injured within the violence that erupted within the aftermath of the election within the nation of a few 870,000 public.
His arch-rival, former president Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, is serving a generation sentence for top treason for allegedly promoting passports.
AFP