The Prosecutor General’s office in Madagascar has said it frustrated an assassination attempt on President Andry Rajoelina and arrested several “foreign and Malagasy” suspects.
A statement released overnight by the Attorney General, Berthine Razafiarivony, said: “Several foreign and Madagascar nationals were arrested on Tuesday, July 20, as part of an investigation into an attack on state security.
“At this stage of the investigation, which is ongoing, the prosecutor general’s office assures we will shed light on this case.
“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 statement added.
It added that investigations were underway, and further details could not be disclosed.
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.
The extent of the plot, or how far advanced, was not immediately clear.
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.
