Pierre Nkurunziza, Burundi's outgoing president, dies at 55
Outgoing Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza, whose 15-year rule over the tiny East African nation resulted in political upheaval and international isolation, has died. He was 55.
Nkurunziza suffered a heart attack on June 8, two days after playing a volleyball match, the government said Tuesday. He was due to step down later this year after announcing he planned to retire in 2019. Elections were held last month that were won by his successor, ruling party candidate Evariste Ndayishimiye.
Burundi experienced several cycles of violence, including genocide, since independence from Belgium in 1962. A former rebel commander, Nkurunziza was named as president in 2005 as part of a peace process that ended years of civil war and ethnic conflict. An avid soccer player, Nkurunziza was known for playing matches in central Bujumbura, the capital, almost every weekend, and often traveled with his own soccer team.
His plan to seek a third term in 2015 reignited political unrest as thousands protested his plans to stay in office. Scores of people disappeared under a police crackdown and all independent media were forced to close.
Since the unrest, dissent has been largely crushed, according to Human Rights Watch. The United Nations envoy to the country, Michel Kafando, resigned last year, saying he was received only once by Nkurunziza during the two-and-a-half years he was stationed there.
Nkurunziza was expected to retain considerable influence within the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Forces for the Defense of Democracy, formerly a rebel group. A law was approved in January to elevate him to the status of Paramount Leader and Champion of Patriotism.
Burundi's decision to proceed with this year's election contrasted with Ethiopia, which has postponed balloting because of the coronavirus pandemic. A week before voting, authorities expelled four World Health Organization officials after they cautioned against allowing campaign rallies that attracted tens of thousands of people. The country has confirmed 83 cases and one death.
Nkurunziza's wife, Denise Bucumi Nkurunziza, flew to neighboring Kenya to seek treatment for covid-19, Anadolu Agency reported on May 30.
