Burundi’s President, Pierre Nkurunziza, has died after suffering a cardiac arrest.
He was 55.
Nkurunziza’s death was announced by the government on Tuesday on Twitter. He died at a hospital in eastern Burundi after he fell ill and was hospitalized over the weekend after attending a volleyball game.
According to reports, he was admitted to hospital on Saturday after feeling unwell, his condition improved but on Monday he had a cardiac arrest and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
After 15 years in power, he was due to step down in August.
Nkurunziza ruled the small Central African nation with an iron fist, arresting journalists, stifling media outlets and cracking down on the opposition.
In 2015, the announcement that he would run for a third term plunged the country into chaos.
It sparked anger as some questioned the legality of a third-term bid.
There was a failed coup attempt, hundreds of people died in clashes and tens of thousands fled the country.
After a change in the constitution, he was able to run for a further term in last month’s election but he decided to retire and was to be known as the “supreme guide to patriotism”.
He was also due to receive a $540,000 (£440,000) retirement pay-out and a luxury villa.
