"I no longer want to live in this country of disbelievers. This is, word for word, according to our information, what Abdallah Ahmed-Osman scribbled on an A4 sheet with large panes found during a search at his apartment in Romans-sur-Isère (Drôme). About ten lines written in French in which the suspected terrorist evokes, in a disjointed way, his life and his activities, between two invocations to "God the greatest".
This Sunday evening, investigators from the PJ of Lyon and the anti-terrorist sub-direction (SDAT) were still trying to find out the motivations of this 33-year-old Sudanese refugee, author of the bloody knife attack perpetrated on Saturday in Romans (two dead, five injured). Sources close to the investigation, Abdallah Ahmed-Osman began to speak in police custody. After detailing his career in the so-called “great identity” hearing, the native of Tendelti (Sudan), employed in a leather goods shop in Drôme, acknowledged the facts but did not explain them at this stage. He must be transferred this Monday to the premises of the SDAT in Levallois-Perret (Hauts-de-Seine) for the continuation of his hearing.
A psychiatric examination of the suspect had been commissioned by the national antiterrorism parquet (PNAT) before being canceled with regard to the intelligibility of this man who speaks in perfect French. "He is not at all in a state of dementia," we slip into the circles of the investigation.
"He feared he had contracted the Covid-19"
At the same time, the police are continuing to analyze the computer media of the alleged terrorist and to hear witnesses to clarify his relationship to religion. At Abdallah Ahmed-Osman's house, they seized several mobile phones, a USB key, a Koran and a prayer rug. But, to date, they have not discovered a letter of demand or allegiance to a jihadist organization. "We dig to find out if we are dealing with a radical Islamist but it is not simple," confides a police source.
Nevertheless, testimonies make it possible to better understand the state of mind of Ahmed-Osman before his acting out. In particular that of Mustapha AM., Friend of the suspect. Questioned in police custody, this 28 year old Sudanese resident in Valence (Drôme) explained to the police that Ahmed-Osman "did not feel well" the day before the attack. "The suspect would have told this friend that he had gone to the hospital because he feared he had contracted Covid-19, said another source close to the investigation. But the hospital reportedly told him no and sent him home, which would have deeply depressed him. ” Investigators are seeking to trace this alleged passage to the hospital.
VIDEO. Romans-sur-Isère: at least two dead and five injured in a knife attack
Worried about the feverish state of his friend, Mustapha A.-M. said that he had gone to visit him on Saturday around 11 am but would have found the door closed: Ahmed-Osman had already left to sow death in the center of Romans . Hence the presence of this man in the building - he would have returned thanks to a neighbor - when the police came to search the suspect's apartment. A third man, a Sudanese national, was also taken into police custody on Saturday evening. He is the roommate of Mustapha AM and followed the same training in leather goods. The two men say they knew nothing about their friend's criminal plan.
Newsletter - The essentials of the news
Every morning, the news seen by Le ParisienI'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more
To the investigators, Mustapha AM also revealed that Abdallah Ahmed-Osman "has not supported confinement" for several days. An indication corroborated by several other witnesses who described a change in attitude of the suspect, suddenly become more "embittered", according to their exact terms. This was stated by a tobacconist from Romans, from whom the suspect had come regularly to buy cigarettes for six months. It was in his establishment that Ahmed-Osman began his murderous journey on Saturday morning.
None of the witnesses interviewed so far have noted religious sectarianism or a sign of radicalization among the attacker of Romans. Neighbors noted that the suspect had recently started playing sports on the stairs to the residence. As for the employer of Ahmed-Osman, he described "a good employee, not very talkative but who got along with everyone".
Arriving in France in 2016, the man had refugee status since June 2017 and a residence permit valid for ten years. Before settling in Romans, he lived in the village of Moras-en-Valloire between September 2018 and January 2020. Helped by the State and Catholic Relief, he obtained accommodation and a professionalization contract in leather goods.