Burundi president dies of ‘heart attack’
Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza, aged 55, has died of a heart attack, the government says.
A government statement says that he was admitted to hospital on Saturday after feeling unwell.
His condition then improved but on Monday he had a cardiac arrest and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Mr Nkurunziza was due to step down from the presidency in August after 15 years in power.
Mr Nkurunziza was elected in 2005 following a long drawn civil war from 1993 to 2005 that killed more than 300,000 people.
But when Nkurunziza sought a third term in 2015, the country was plunged into another crisis.
Burundi’s president survived the crisis and stayed in power for a third term.
Nkurunziza surprised many after declining to go for another term despite a 2018 constitution allowing him to do so.
The hefty exit package was agreed after Parliament met to vote more than $530,000 to the President.
In March 2018, the governing CNDD-FDD party named Nkurunziza the country’s “eternal supreme guide”.
Nkurunziza’s wife Denise Bucumi Nkurunziza was 10 days ago airlifted to Nairobi for treatment after contracting Covid-19.
A source at the Aga Khan University Hospital said Mrs Nkurunziza was receiving treatment for an underlying condition as well.
She was airlifted to Nairobi following a government-to-government agreement using Amref’s acquired portable isolation chamber, which is an innovative medical unit and transportation system designed for optimal safety during patient loading and transport.
Last month, Burundi’s ruling party candidate Evariste Ndayishimiye won the presidential election with 68.7 percent of the vote, the country’s poll commission said.
The retired army general will take over the helm after beating opposition rival Agathon Rwasa who garnered 24.19 percent of the vote.
Burundians went to the ballot on May 20 in an election that fielded seven candidates.
The election marked the end of Nkurunziza’s 15-year-long rule after his attempt to seek a third term led to riots and political unrest.
The polls also took place despite despite a coronavirus outbreak in the region.
Meanwhile, Burundi has announced a seven-day mourning following news of the death of President Nkurunziza.
Announcing a week of national mourning, the late president’s senior adviser said he was “very much saddened” by his “untimely death”.