BUJUMBURA: Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza has died of heart failure, the government said Tuesday, after the former rebel chief spent 15 often turbulent years in power.

An evangelical who believed he was chosen by God to rule the East African nation, Nkurunziza took office in 2005, when he was selected by parliament.

"The Government of the Republic of Burundi announces with great sadness the unexpected death of His Excellency Pierre Nkurunziza, President of the Republic of Burundi... following heart failure on June 8, 2020," it said in a post on its official Twitter account.

His death occurred in a hospital in the eastern city of Karuzi, according to a statement from the Burundian presidency. His controversial and ultimately successful bid for a third term in 2015 plunged the country into crisis.

Violence left at least 1,200 people dead, displaced hundreds of thousands and prompted the authorities to carry out a sustained crackdown on the opposition and media.