Comoros President Azali Assoumani injured in knife attack at funeral
- In Reports
- 04:24 PM, Sep 14, 2024
- Myind Staff
Comoros President Azali Assoumani was "slightly injured" in a knife attack on Friday while attending the funeral of a religious leader in Salimani, near the capital Moroni, according to an official statement. A civilian was also injured while attempting to shield the president during the attack, authorities confirmed.
Assoumani’s injuries were reported to be minor, and he returned home shortly after the incident. The attacker was swiftly apprehended by security forces and is currently in custody, though no details about the identity or motive of the assailant have been released. The government has yet to provide further clarification on the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Government minister Aboubacar Said Anli, speaking on Saturday, disclosed that the civilian who tried to protect the president also suffered injuries. However, the extent of the civilian’s injuries remains unclear.
Assoumani, 65, was re-elected in January in a contested vote that opposition parties denounced as fraudulent. His controversial re-election sparked unrest in the country, with at least one reported death in the aftermath. Assoumani, a former military officer, first came to power in a 1999 coup. He previously served as president from 2002 to 2006 and was re-elected in 2016. Earlier this year, he extended his presidency into a fourth term after amending the constitution to remove term limits.
The constitutional changes also abolished a rotating presidency system that had previously ensured power-sharing between the country’s three main islands. Assoumani's administration has been accused of suppressing dissent and banning peaceful protests, raising concerns about the erosion of democratic freedoms in the country.
Comoros, an archipelago of islands off the east coast of Africa, has long been plagued by political instability, with more than a dozen coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975.
Image source: Financial Express
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