Former Botswana President Festus Mogae dies aged 86
Festus Mogae, the former president of Botswana, has died aged 86. Mogae, who led the country from 1998 to 2008, was internationally recognised for stewarding the economy and confronting the HIV/AIDS epidemic. President Duma Boko declared a period of national mourning.
Festus Mogae, who served as president of Botswana from 1998 to 2008, has died at the age of 86, according to a statement from the presidency. President Duma Boko called Mogae "a distinguished statesman and patriot".
Mogae was widely credited with channelling Botswana's diamond revenues into broad-based social investment. He was the first African leader to roll out free antiretroviral treatment to citizens at a time when the country recorded one of the highest HIV-prevalence rates on the continent, a step later cited globally as a public-health model.
After leaving office, Mogae was awarded the Mo Ibrahim Prize for African leadership in 2008. Preparations for a state funeral are under way in Gaborone as African leaders sent condolences. His death has reignited a national debate over diversifying Botswana's economy beyond its long-standing dependence on diamond exports.
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