Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza, aged 55, has died after suffering a cardiac arrest, the government says.
President Nkurunziza was admitted to hospital on Saturday after feeling unwell, the statement read.
According to the statement, the president had attended a volleyball match on Saturday afternoon and was taken to hospital that evening after falling ill.
Although he appeared to recover on Sunday and spoke to those around him, he suddenly deteriorated on Monday morning. He then suffered a heart attack and despite an immediate resuscitation attempt, doctors were unable to revive him.
The government stated that there would be a period of national mourning for seven days from Tuesday and that flags would be flown at half-mast.
After 15 years in power, President Nkurunziza was due to be replaced in August by political ally Evariste Ndayishimiye, who was declared earlier this month the winner of a May 20 presidential election.
His controversial decision to run for a third term in 2015 plunged the country into anarchy.
After a failed military coup and a crackdown by security forces, hundreds of thousands of people fled to neighbouring countries to escape the violence.











