World

Botswana's former president Festus Mogae dies, government says

By Reuters Reuters
FILE PHOTO: Former President of Botswana and United Nations' special envoy for Climate Change Festus Gontebanye Mogae attends the opening session of the "African Conference of Ministers in Charge Of Environment On Climate Change Post-2012" in Algiers November 19, 2008. REUTERS/Louafi Larbi/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Former President of Botswana and United Nations' special envoy for Climate Change Festus Gontebanye Mogae attends the opening session of the "African Conference of Ministers in Charge Of Environment On Climate Change Post-2012" in Algiers November 19, 2008. REUTERS/Louafi Larbi/File Photo Louafi Larbi Reuters

GABORONE - Botswana's former president Festus Mogae, an economist who led the diamond-rich nation for a decade and won international praise for good governance and the fight against HIV/AIDS, has died, the government said on Friday.

(Reporting by Brian Benza and Sfundo Parakozov; Writing by Nilutpal Timsina; Editing by Alexander Winning)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 3:12 AM.

Get one year of unlimited digital access for $159.99
#ReadLocal

Only 44¢ per day

SUBSCRIBE NOW