Former Zambian President Lungu dies aged 68

Zambia's former President Edgar Lungu has died at 68. His party, the Patriotic Front, confirmed his death in a statement.

Lungu had been receiving specialized treatment in South Africa for an undisclosed illness.

He served as Zambia's president from 2015 to 2021. He lost the 2021 election to current President Hakainde Hichilema by a large margin.

After his defeat, Lungu stepped back from politics but later returned. He seemed to have ambitions to run for president again.

Lungu's daughter Tasila said he died at 06:00 (04:00 GMT) on Thursday. He had been under medical supervision in recent weeks.

In her emotional statement, she invoked the spirit of "One Zambia, One Nation." This was the guiding principle during her father's service.

Lungu first became president in January 2015 after winning a special election. This election followed the death of Michael Sata.

He completed Sata's term and won another five years in power in 2016. He received just over 50% of the votes that year.

However, after six years in office, Lungu faced criticism for a struggling economy and high unemployment. In 2021, he lost by nearly one million votes to Hichilema, who capitalized on public dissatisfaction.