Hosni Mubarak, ousted Egyptian president who ruled for 30 years, dies at 91

Hosni Mubarak, former president of Egypt who was ousted by the military in 2011 after a 30-year rule, has died at age 91.

The former ruler died on Tuesday in a military hospital in Cairo, the country’s capital, according to the state TV.

Mubarak was Egypt’s fourth president beginning from 1981 until he was ousted and forced to step down in the Arab Spring revolution of 2011.

He was jailed for years after the uprising over the deaths of some protesters, but he regained freedom in 2017 after being acquitted of most charges.

Before his death, Mubarak battled illness for months and he underwent surgery in January.

His administration was partly characterised by corruption, unemployment, police brutality, poverty and economic problems.

Before he became president, Mubarak played a key role in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.

He became president following the assassination of President Anwar Sadat on October 6, 1981.

The former president was instrumental in the Israel-Palestinian peace process.

His administration maintained close relations with other member states of the Arab League as well as the United States, Russia, India, among others.

International organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch had repeatedly criticised his administration’s human rights record.

Like several African countries, Egypt has a track record of rulers who cling unto power and are often forced to step down.

In June 2019, Mohammed Morsi, another ousted president of Egypt, collapsed and died during a court session.

Morsi, the country’s first democratically elected president, was attending a session in his trial on espionage charges emanating from suspected contacts with Hamas, a Palestinian sect, when he fainted and passed away.