The man accused of trying to kill Mali’s interim President, Assimi Goita has died in custody.
Recall that the suspect whose identity has not been revealed, was taken into custody following the assassination attempt at Bamako’s Grand Mosque on Tuesday, July 21.
While Goita was whisked away by his security officials and later appeared on state TV to say he was doing “very well”, his attacker, a young-looking man dressed in jeans and a white shirt, was apprehended at the scene and taken away by the Malian intelligence services.
Sources who told AFP that he was never presented before judicial authorities, revealed that he is a teacher but never elaborated.
Commenting on death of the suspect, the government said in a statement on Sunday July 25;
“During investigations… his health deteriorated and he was then hospitalised but unfortunately, he has died.”
The government added that the suspect’s death was not an obstacle to continuing the investigation, “especially since preliminary evidence and intelligence gathered indicate that he was not an isolated element”.
37-year-old Assimi Goita was sworn into office as Mali’s interim President in June despite the political backlash over his second power grab in almost nine months. He was the leader of the country’s military coup and had already declared himself as interim President, just two days after seizing the power in Mali’s second coup. Goita was also the leader of the first coup in the country which ousted the then elected Mali president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020 following months of anti-government demonstrations in the country.
Goita is currently assuming Mali’s presidency for a transitional period of 18 months, after an agreement between the Malian coup leaders and the West African states regional bloc (ECOWAS).
