JUST IN: Burundi President Is Dead

Outgoing Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza aged 55, has died of a heart attack, the government says.

In a statement posted on Twitter on Tuesday, the government announced “with great sorrow to Burundians and the international community” the passing of Nkurunziza, 55.

“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.

READ ALSO: June 12: Omokri Leaks Highlights Of Buhari’s Recorded Speech For Friday

Early Life:

In 1993 civil war erupted between Hutu rebel groups and the Tutsi-dominated army. Nkurunziza narrowly avoided death during a 1995 army attack on the university campus that killed some 200 people. After his escape Nkurunziza became active in the conflict, joining the Forces for the Defense of Democracy (Forces pour la Défense de Démocratie; FDD), which was the armed wing of a Hutu exile group, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy (Conseil National pour la Défense de Démocratie; CNDD). In 1998 a Burundian court sentenced him in absentia to death for his rebel activities.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the CNDD-FDD split into several factions, with Nkurunziza assuming chairmanship of one faction in 2001. In that capacity, Nkurunziza headed negotiations that culminated in his faction of the CNDD-FDD signing a peace accord with Pres. Domitien Ndayizeye in 2003. As part of the agreement, Nkurunziza received immunity from prosecution for war crimes. He later joined Ndayizeye’s cabinet as minister of good governance in November 2004.

The CNDD-FDD became an official political party in 2005. Under Nkurunziza’s leadership, the party won a decisive victory in parliamentary elections held in July. In preparation for the upcoming presidential election in Parliament, Nkurunziza was asked to be the CNDD-FDD’s candidate; he accepted the nomination and resigned as party chairman. In the ensuing vote by members of Parliament, Nkurunziza, the only candidate, won 151 of the 162 ballots cast and was elected president on August 19, 2005. He was formally sworn into office on August 25.

About Pierre Nkurunziza

Pierre Nkurunziza was a Burundian politician who served as president of Burundi from 2005 to his death in 2020. Before his election, Pierre Nkurunziza was the Chairman of the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD).

In 2015, Nkurunziza was controversially nominated by his party for a third term in office. Supporters and opponents of Nkurunziza disagreed as to whether it was legal for him to run again, and protests followed.

More than two months of anti-Nkurunziza protests, which were often violently repressed, left at least 100 dead. On 13 May 2015, a coup attempt against Nkurunziza occurred while he was out of the country; the coup leader, Godefroid Niyombare, claimed to have ousted Nkurunziza, but Nkurunziza loyalists disputed the claim.

Facing resistance from Nkurunziza loyalists, the coup collapsed and forces loyal to Nkurunziza appeared to be back in full control by 15 May. Independent media was shut down and many opponents fled, joining an exodus of more than 400,000 Burundians.[2]

Amidst an opposition boycott, Nkurunziza was re-elected to a third term in the July 2015 presidential election. On 7 June 2018, Nkurunziza announced that he would not seek another term.