7 African Presidents Who Survived Assassination Attempts – You Won’t Believe What Happened!

Summary

• Comoros President Azoli Assoumani survived a knife attack during a funeral, thanks to his security team, and the attacker was arrested.
• Several African presidents have faced assassination attempts in the last decade, including Somalia's Abdullah Yusuf Ahmed, Guinea's Moussa Dadis Camara and Alpha Conde, Zimbabwe's Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mali's Assimi Goita, and Sudan's Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
• Despite these attacks, all of the leaders survived and reassured their citizens, showing resilience in leadership during times of crisis.
• The peace and stability brought by these leaders following such incidents reflect the strength of African leadership in the face of adversity.

September 14, 2024 Moroni, Comoros -The president of Comoros was left ‘slightly’ injured after he was attacked with a knife as he attended the funeral of a religious leader on Friday 13th September 2024.

President Azoli Assoumani almost lost his life after a 24-year-old male soldier attempted to stab him with a knife. This occurred in the town of Salimani on the outskirts of the capital, Moroni.

The president was saved by his security agents who immediately subdued the young man and handed him over to the investigators. The suspect was identified as Ahmed Abdou. He was arrested by the police but was found unresponsive in his cell the following morning.

 The attempt to do away with a head of state is not a new occurrence the world over. In Africa, a few heads of state have had the chance to survive an assassination. Below are examples of African presidents who have survived assassination in the last decade.

 6.  Abdullah Yusuf Ahmed (Somalia)

An example of another attempted assassination was on the president of Somalia, Abdullah Yusuf Ahmed. A suicide car bomber smashed his vehicle into Ahmed’s convoy outside the National Parliament on 17^th September 2006 He was left unharmed in the incident. The state blamed the Islamic Courts Union for having attempted to assassinate the president.

 5. Moussa Dadis Camara (Guinea)

At a military camp run by Toumba in the capital, Conakry a lieutenant shot at the president, Moussa Dadis Camara. This incident happened on the 3^rd of December 2009. Lt Abubakar Diakite, his aide- de camp, pointed a gun at the president. The president was left wounded in this attack.

 4. Alpha Conde. (Guinea)

Just 2 years after the attempted assassination of H.E Mossa Dadis Camara, another Guinea president almost lost his life. On 19^th July 2011, gunmen opened fire on the residence of the president, Alpha Conde. He was left unharmed in the incident and called on the population to remain calm.

3. Emmerson Mnagagwa (Zimbabwe)

The president of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnagagwa had just finished his speech at a Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) rally when a bomb went off. The incident took place on 23^rd June 2018 at White City Stadium in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. This came to be known as the 2018 Bulwayo Bombing. The president was unharmed however a few of his high-ranking officials were injured.

 2.Assimi Goita (Mali)

Following political turmoil in the country. Two people tried to stab the president, Assimi Goita on 20^th July 2021. This occurred after Eid al-Adha prayers at the Grand Mosque in Bamako, Mali.

 1.Abdel Fattah -al Burhan (Sudan)

On the 30^th of July 2024, President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was shot during a military graduation ceremony in Jubayt, Red Sea state in Eastern Sudan. After the ceremony had ended, two drones struck the facility. The president was left unharmed in the incident.

 Conclusion

African presidents have proven resilience through these attempted assassinations in that even when their lives were at stake, they thought of their citizens first. They assured their citizens of their well-being and asked for calmness. African leadership has thus brought about stability in the countries following the attacks. This peace and stability has reflected in the continent at large.