Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza is Dead

It has been reported that Pierre Nkurunziza, Burundi’s president, has died from a heart attack, according to government officials.

 

Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza Dies 10 Days After His Wife Was Airlifted to Nairobi after contracting COVID-19.

Late Pierre Nkurunziza

 

“The Government of the Republic of Burundi announces with great sadness the unexpected death of His Excellency Pierre Nkurunziza, President of the Republic of Burundi, at the Karusi Fiftieth Anniversary Hospital following a cardiac arrest on June 8, 2020,” the government said.

 

Nkurunziza’s death was said to have occurred just ten days after his wife Denise Bucumi Nkurunziza was airlifted to Nairobi after contracting COVID-19.

 

President Nkurunziza did not vie in his country’s May elections, the first time in 15 years that he did not run for the presidency. He served three terms, the third of which sparked lengthy unrest in the country.

 

According to the report, Mr. Nkurunziza was admitted to the hospital on Saturday after feeling ill. His condition improved but on Monday he had a cardiac arrest and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. According to the government, seven days of mourning would be observed by the east African country beginning Tuesday.

 

Mr. Nkurunziza was widely criticized for his heavy-handed rule, came to power in 2005.

 

The country was plunged into chaos when he decided to run for a third term amidst widespread rejection in 2015 resulting in at least 1,200 people dead, thousands displaced as the authorities clamped down on critics and media.

 

A change in the constitution was later engineered by his government later engineered a change in the constitution, and he was able to run for a further term in the latest election in May. However, he decided to retire nominating Evariste Ndayishimiye, who won a seven-year term as president and was due to be sworn in in August.