President of Comoros injured in stabbing attack
Photo: President of the Comoros Azali Assoumani (facebook.com/beitsalam)
President of the Comoros Azali Assoumani was attacked during the funeral of a prominent religious figure on the outskirts of the capital, Moroni. The head of this East African nation sustained a knife wound, according to the press service of the President of the Comoros and Agence France-Presse.
A statement from the president’s office noted that 65-year-old Azali Assoumani was lightly injured with a knife during the funeral of the country's prominent religious leader.
It was reported that the injuries sustained by the President of the Comoros are considered non-serious and he has returned home.
The statement from the president’s office added that the attacker was in the custody of security services.
Government spokesperson Fatima Ahamada told AFP that the attack occurred in the Salimani-Itsandra area, on the outskirts of the capital, Moroni.
She did not disclose details of the attack but mentioned that Assoumani’s life was not in danger.
Witnesses told AFP that the assailant was a 22-year-old man with no criminal record. He became a serviceman in 2022.
According to media reports, the attacker was dressed in a boubou (a long, wide tunic-like robe with wide sleeves) and was in the room with the body of the religious leader while attendees were paying their respects.
President Assoumani was stabbed in the arm. Witnesses told reporters that the attacker was stopped by another mourner at the funeral.
According to AFP sources, the assailant was a young gendarme on active duty.
What is known about the Comoros President
Azali was previously a military officer. He came to power in a 1999 coup and was re-elected president in January following a contested vote that was followed by two days of protests, during which there were fatalities.
President Assoumani has been accused of increasing authoritarianism in the country. In August, he granted new powers to his son, which critics viewed as a move to consolidate family rule over the small African island nation.
Additionally, the president’s eldest son, Nour El Fath Azali, was appointed Secretary-General of the Comoros in July.
In January, President Assoumani won re-election in a contest his opponents claimed was marred by fraud. Legal challenges to the election were dismissed.
It was previously reported that during a visit to Kyiv last summer, the leader of the Comoros proposed creating a roadmap. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remarked that he did not want a surprise.
