Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza died this week from a sudden illness which was described as an apparent heart attack in a government statement. He was 55 years old.
The government said he had fallen ill on Saturday after attending a volleyball game. His health improved on Sunday but then deteriorated suddenly on Monday. Officials say he had a heart attack and died Monday morning. He was due to step down from power in a just weeks.
Nkurunziza had become a controversial figure on the international stage when he withdrew Burundi from the international criminal court in 2017. Last year he shut down the United Nations office on human rights in the country.
Last month Nkurunziza again angered critics when he refused to put Burundi on lockdown because of the Covid19 pandemic. He allowed sporting events and mass political rallies to continue. Nkurunziza’s spokesperson said at the time that although the pandemic may hit the country, “Burundi … has signed a special covenant with God, whether you believe it or not”.
Nkurunziza ordered the WHO expelled from the country soon after. The reason was not made public but the health ministry accused the international organization of “unacceptable interference” in the way the country handled the covid pandemic, that according to a Burundian official who spoke with The Guardian on condition of anonymity.
There were rumors that WHO officials had tried to pressure the Burundian government to postpone national elections because of the covid outbreak.