Zimbabwe’s ex-president, Robert Mugabe, has died after battling ill health for years, his family has announced.
The former leader, who is believed to have died in the early hours of Friday, had been in hospital in Singapore since April.
Mugabe governed his country from its independence in 1980 until he was ousted in a military coup in November 2017, ending his three decades in power.
He won Zimbabwe’s first election after independence, becoming prime minister. After a constitutional reform in 1987 abolishing the position of prime minister, Mugabe became the executive president of the country.
https://twitter.com/edmnangagwa/status/1169839311430115329
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took over power after Mugabe was removed by the military, has paid tribute to the former leader.
He tweeted that Mr Mugabe was “an icon of liberation, a pan-Africanist who dedicated his life to the emancipation and empowerment of his people.
“His contribution to the history of our nation and continent will never be forgotten.”