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Nkurunziza died of respiratory complications – medics quoted
A source at hospital where he was first admitted tells news agency
Burundi’s former President Pierre Nkurunziza
Burundi’s former president Pierre Nkurunziza died due to respiratory complications similar to u and not heart complications, doctors at the hospital in Bujumbura where the former president was first taken, have told the French news agency AFP.
The official government statement that was released on Monday June 8, following Nkrunziza’s death indicated that he had died of cardiac arrest.
But doctors at Kamenge University Hospital in Bujumbura where he was rushed first told AFP tell a different story.
“Medics at the Kamenge university hospital in Bujumbura told AFP that the head of the institute of public health requested their hospital’s only ventilator and the head of our reanimation service ‘in the name of the Presidency’ on Monday at 10am’,” The Daily Mail online quotes AFP.
Pierre Nkurunziza was already dead by the time he was received by Karusi hospital. A medical source at the hospital has told media.
Although death from any health condition was possible, circumstances surrounding the first family that included the hospitalization of his wife Denise, mother in law and the late president’s sister in Nairobi for COVID-19, left many worried about a possible cover-up of COVID by the government.
Burundi government announced Nkurunziza’s death on June 9 and declared a week of national mourning.
Nkurunziza was due to hand over power to the man he endorsed, Evariste Ndayishimiye, in August 2020 He died before it came to pass.
Nkurunziza led Burundi for 15 years becoming the country’s longest president in history.
His decision to run for a disputed third term five years ago sparked violence in Burundi leading to the death of hundreds of people in the country.
Nkurunziza ordered for the killing of his own people. He was ready to act contrary to the country’s constitution. Nkurunziza became largely isolated by the international community since then.
In 2017 Burundi became the first country to leave the International Criminal court.
Nkurunziza died at a young age of 55 years after leading his country for 15 years. He led the small East African country for 15 years and then endorsed his ally and member of the ruling party, Evariste Ndayishimiye, as his successor.
Evariste Ndayishimiye won the May election with almost 70 per cent of the vote. His closest opponent in the May election, Agathon Rwasa, insists the vote was not free and fair . The court in Burundi however says Ndayishimiye fairly won the elections held last month.
According to the Constitution in Burundi, the Speaker of parliament, Pascal Nyabenda, should have become the interim leader. This will not happen.
The constitutional court in Burundi ruled the other day that Nkurunziza’ s successor Evariste Ndiyishimiye has to be sworn in as soon as possible.
Nkurunziza has left behind a deeply impoverished nation with the majority of people surviving on less than a dollar a day. He ruled Burundi with an iron fist until his death.
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