Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi has died. He was 92 years old.
Essebsi's office announced his passing on Thursday. The statement didn't provide a cause of death.
He was hospitalized last month with a serious illness. And he reportedly returned to intensive care early Thursday.
Essebsi was Tunisia's first democratically elected president. He became the country's interim leader in 2011 after the Arab Spring uprising that ended the 23-year rule of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. Three years later, Essebsi was elected president.
He was the oldest head of state after Queen Elizabeth II. He was supposed to step down at the end of his term this year.
Essebsi's office said a burial ceremony will be announced soon. He is survived by his wife and four children.
