Burundi leader dies at tail-end of 15-year rule

Bloomberg

Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza, whose 15-year rule was marked by political violence and upheaval that earned his country international pariah status, has died. He was 55.
Nkurunziza suffered a heart attack on June 8, two days after playing a volleyball match, the government said.
He was due to step down in August, after an election last month won by ruling party candidate Evariste Ndayishimiye. Details of his swearing have yet to be disclosed.
A former rebel commander, Nkurunziza was named president in 2005 as part of a peace process that ended years
of civil war and ethnic conflict. His plan to seek a third term
in 2015 reignited political unrest as thousands of people protested his bid to stay in office. Scores disappeared under a police crackdown and all independent media outlets were forced to close.
“Many hoped he would lead the country on a path of democratic reforms,” said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
In the aftermath of the 2015 elections, several foreign donors froze funding to the government.