Burundi's Nkurunziza leaves a mixed legacy

Pierre Nkurunziza was a dominant figure in Burundi’s politics in the last 26 years. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza, who died of a heart attack aged 55 according to an official statement released on Tuesday, has left behind a mixed legacy.

Viewed as a pan- Africanist by his East African Community (EAC) peers and as a ruthless dictator by his critics, Nkurunziza was a dominant figure in Burundi’s politics in the last 26 years.