A 24-year-old who attacked Cosmoros President Azali Assoumani on Friday at a burial in Salimani-Itsandra has been found dead.

Ahmed Abdou was a military officer who served in the army for two years.

Ahmed Abdou’s lifeless body was found on Saturday morning lying in his isolated cell where he had been kept so that he could calm down.

“He (Abdou) was isolated in a cell so that he could calm down yesterday after his arrest. Investigators found his lifeless body lying on the floor this morning,” said Prosecutor Ali Mohamed Djounaid.

“He had attacked the President and a relative of the late religious leader with a kitchen knife,” stated Djounaid.

He further added that an investigation had commenced to identify cause of death.

State of the President

Minimal details have been revealed about the state of the President with the government spokesperson Fatima Ahamada saying that he is “doing very well”.

Prosecutor Djounaid further revealed that Abou had not been questioned by investigators at the time of his death.

“An inquiry is underway into the reasons for the young man’s attempt on the President’s life.”

“There will also be an inquiry into the circumstances of his death,” Djounaid further added.

A family source anonymously revealed that the body had been handed over to the family to be buried according to Islamic burial rites.

Azali Assoumani’s term as President

Mr Assoumani served as President from 2002 to 2006 after staging a coup in 1999. He was then elected as president for the second time in 2016 until date. He however took a break from the presidency in 2019.