Had he premeditated his act?
On TikTok, the attacker at Lyon station, who injured three people with a knife and hammer, including one seriously, this Saturday morning, had published numerous disturbing videos in recent months.
Videos which have been authenticated, according to our information.
A security source mentions to Le Parisien “a profile of pan-Africanism”.
The man, a 32-year-old Malian suffering from psychiatric disorders, is currently being interviewed by investigators.
His motivations are still not “known”, indicated the Paris prosecutor’s office.
But on the video application TikTok, an account in his name broadcast numerous videos mixing opinions on politics in Mali, in his native language, rantings on geopolitics, as well as threatening addresses aimed at the French, or by Emmanuel Macron.
The suspect expresses in particular his resentment towards the French military intervention in Mali, and France's past colonialism.
“I'm not French, I don't dream of being French, I don't like France, I hate all French people,” he explains, facing the camera.
“It is my own reason to ignore France because the French who deprived me of my right to live, it is the French who took away my dignity.
It was the French who stole, (…) it was the French who took my grandparents hostage for slavery.
It was the French who forced my grandparents to do forced labor to be able to settle their accounts, their economy,” he adds.
“You are more cursed than Satan”
In another video, the suspect again addresses, in confusing terms, Emmanuel Macron's foreign policy.
“Emmanuel Macron's illness is getting worse day by day, Emmanuel Macron risks undressing and taking to the French streets singing
I have lost Africa, my Africa, where have the Africans gone?
“, he thunders.
“You entered the African continent illegally for resources, mistreated people, raped women, murdered small children, removed children's organs, stole our financial material goods,” he said in particular, before assuring: “ You are more cursed than Satan.
Even Satan can't teach you a lesson."
The question of French, even Western, imperialism seems prominent in his speech.
Particularly on the question of the defense of minorities.
“If you like to choose Satan's side, I like to choose God's side.
(…) Emmanuel Macron you must remember that not everyone is stupid like you, not everyone is satanic like you,” insists the suspect in his long video against Emmanuel Macron.
“If you are LGBT whatever you want to call it, then stay LGBT.
You must not want to drag the whole world into your LGBT, supposedly you are defending minorities.
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“RIP in three months”
These videos are also an opportunity for the suspect to show his support for Russia, which has, in recent years, strengthened its partnerships with several nations on the African continent.
“The Russians dominate the stocks.
Russian actions speak for themselves because the Russians are more loved than the French.
The Russians are more loved than the Americans because they are fairer,” he assures.
Also read: Niger: behind the military juntas, Russia's growing influence in the Sahel
Accusing Emmanuel Macron of having put “the world, Europe in chaos”, he adds that “Europe will not have the gas of the Russians, and Europe will not have the gas and the basements of the Africans.”
Other videos appear to foreshadow violent action to come.
One of them, dated December 2, 2023, the author of the account writes: “RIP (rest in peace, Editor's note) in three months, may Allah welcome me to his paradise”.
“Attack is the best defense,” he explains in another video.
“Sometimes you have to attack, you shouldn't always wait for the principle of reciprocity.
Sometimes you have to attack to be able to dominate your own enemy, to be able to scare your enemy, to threaten your enemy.
This is what we call the principle of domination.
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No sign of “religiosity” according to the prefect
The attacker, of Malian nationality, is, according to Paris police prefect Laurent Nuñez, “regularly in Italy since 2016, with a valid permit issued in 2019”, according to the documents in his possession.
This title allowed him to travel to France legally.
He was until then unknown to both French and Italian police services, according to a police source.
The suspect declared “spontaneously” to suffer from “psychiatric disorders” and “medications” were found on him, added the police prefect.
The first elements initially converged to say that the man presented a “homeless profile”, but “no sign of religiosity”.
“We will see if the terrorist trail can be ruled out,” declared Laurent Nuñez at the end of the press briefing.