# The former third president of Botswana, Festus Mogae has died at the age of 86. Mogae had been hospitalised in Gaborone last month for an undisclosed ailment. He served as Botswana’s president from 1998 to 2008 and was widely respected for promoting economic stability, democratic governance, and tackling the HIV/AIDS crisis. Mogae pioneered Botswana’s anti-retroviral treatment programme and campaigned against stigma surrounding the disease. Mogae also received the 2008 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership. His leadership is credited with strengthening democracy.
Former Botswanan president Festus Mogae dies at 86