Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza dies of ‘Cardiac Arrest’ at 55
- Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza, aged 55, has died after suffering a cardiac arrest, the government says.He was admitted to hospital on Saturday after feeling unwell, his condition improved but on Monday he had a cardiac arrest and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, officials say.
- In 2015, the announcement that he would run for a third term plunged the country into chaos.
- It sparked anger as some questioned the legality of a third-term bid.
- There was a failed coup attempt, hundreds of people died in clashes and tens of thousands fled the country.
- After a change in the constitution, he was able to run for a further term in last month’s election but he decided to retire and was to be known as the “supreme guide to patriotism”
- He was also due to receive a $540,000 (£440,000) retirement pay-out and a luxury villa.
- Pierre Nkurunziza was loved and feared in equal measure – loved by those who felt he lived up to his promises when he was elected after the civil war, and feared by his political opponents.
- When the former rebel leader took office in 2005, at the age of 40, the country that had been brutally torn apart by an ethnic conflict that had killed about 300,000 over a decade.
- Young, optimistic and charismatic, he managed to live up to everyone’s expectations by uniting people and rebuilding the economy. Between 2006 and 2011, the president – known for his preaching and love of football – received seven international awards for his peace-building efforts.
- Before the civil war, Mr Nkurunziza, who had graduated in sports education, was a teacher and assistant lecturer at the University of Burundi.
- He survived the killings of 1993 when ethnic Hutus were targeted at the university and joined the Forces for the Defence of Democracy (FDD) rebel group.
- He emerged as its leader and after the 2003 peace deal, Mr Nkurunziza was named minister of interior before parliament elected him president in August 2005.
About Burundi-
Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley where the African Great Lakes region and East Africa converge.
- Capital – Gitega
- Currency – Burundian Franc
- President – Pierre Nkurunziza
जीके और दैनिक करेंट अफेयर्स अपडेट हिंदी में प्राप्त करें – क्लिक करें
