BUJUMBURA, June 10 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Burundi’s outgoing President, Pierre Nkurunziza, died of a heart attack at a hospital in east-central Burundi, a government statement issued here on Tuesday.
Nkurunziza watched a volleyball match in Ngozi Province in the afternoon of June 6, before being taken to a hospital in Karusi Province for treatment, as he felt discomfort in the evening, the statement said.
His health improved on Sunday but surprisingly changed later and died at the age of 55, it said, adding, immediate intensive care was conducted by a multidisciplinary team of doctors with cardio-respiratory assistance for many hours but failed to recuperate the deceased.
“Burundian government offers its sincere condolences to his family and all Burundians,” said the statement.
The government also announced a seven-day national mourning from yesterday.
Speaker of Burundian National Assembly, Pascal Nyabenda, will lead the transition government until Aug 20, as stipulated by the Constitution.
The “unexpected death” of Nkurunziza came, days after the Constitutional Court declared Evariste Ndayishimiye, winner of May 20’s presidential poll, who is expected to be inaugurated on Aug 20.
Ndayishimiye, Secretary General of the ruling National Council for the Defence of Democracy, was in Jan, elected as the party’s presidential candidate, after Nkurunziza announced he would not seek reelection.
Nkurunziza was elected president of Burundi in 2005, and was re-elected in 2010 and 2015.
