Pierre Nkurunziza, born on December 18, 1965, the ninth president of Burundi since its independence on July 1, 1962 from Belgium, becomes the country's first president to die of natural causes in office.
A graduate of Physical Education from the University of Burundi, Nkurunziza was the longest-serving president in the country's history, ruling for 15 years from August 2005, until his death on June 8, 2020.
A former leader of a Hutu rebel group, Nkurunziza was raised in the province of Ngozi in northern Burundi.
His party, the Front for Democracy in Burundi (Frodebu) and three other predominately Hutu parties, the Rally for the People of Burundi, People's Party, and the Liberal Party led by Ndadaye, won the 1993 election against the ruling Tutsi-dominated government of Pierre Buyoya.
It was Nkurunziza's run for what was basically a third term as president in the 2015 election, seen by many even in his own party as a violation of the country's constitution as well as the 2000 Arusha Agreement, that brought on another cycle of violence.
