An assassination attempt on Madagascar President, Andry Rajoelina, was foiled, the prosecutor general’s office disclosed on Wednesday night.
Several “foreign and Malagasy” suspects connected to the assasinaton attempt have been arrested.
Two French people are among several arrested in the Indian Ocean island nation on Tuesday “as part of an investigation for undermining state security”, diplomatic sources said.
“Several foreign and Madagascar nationals were arrested on Tuesday, July 20, as part of an investigation into an attack on state security,” said prosecutor Berthine Razafiarivony, in a statement released overnight
“At this stage of the investigation, which is ongoing, the prosecutor general’s office assures we will shed light on this case,” she added.
“According to the evidence in our possession, these individuals had devised a plan for the elimination and neutralization of a number of people, including the head of state,” the attorney general said.
It added that investigations were underway, and further details could not be disclosed
Rajoelina was sworn in as president of the island country in 2019 after a hard-fought election and a constitutional court challenge from his rival.
The extent of the plot, or how far advanced, was not immediately clear.
