By Breaking News Desk
Kampala, Uganda (RTN)-Burundi's out going President Pierre Nkurunziza has been reported dead , Government statement on Twitter said he died of a heart attack.
"with great sorrow to Burundians and the international community" we announce the passing of Nkurunziza, 55 a statement posted on Twitter on Tuesday announced.
According to the statement, Nkurunziza 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.
Nkurunziza died at a hospital in Karuzi, eastern Burundi.
Burundi's government has announced national mourning of seven days saying that flags would be flown at half-mast.
Nkurunziza who came to power in power 2005, 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.
Nkurunziza's final years in office were racked by turmoil.
His controversial decision to run for a third term in 2015 was condemned by the opposition as unconstitutional and sparked mass unrest. After a failed military coup and a crackdown by security forces, hundreds of thousands of people fled to neighbouring countries to escape the violence.
RTN and news agencies
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