Man accused of attempted assassination of Mali president dies in custody

An assailant who attempted to stab Mali's interim president Colonel Assimi Goita, leader of two military coups, during the Eid Al Adha prayer at a mosque in the capital Bamako, is seen lying in an army vehicle after he was arrested in Bamako, Mali July 20, 2021.REUTERS/Stringer

BAMAKO (Reuters) - A man accused of attempting to stab Mali's interim President Assimi Goita last week has died in hospital while in the custody of security services, the government said in a statement on Sunday.

Goita, a special forces colonel who orchestrated two coups in the last year, escaped unharmed after the assailant tried to stab him during prayers at a mosque in the capital Bamako on Tuesday.