BREAKING - Robert Mugabe Zimbabwe's Former President Goes Home At 95

Robert Mugabe (Ex-President of Zimbabwe)

Robert Mugabe, who led Zimbabwe with tough policies from 1980 - 2017, has died at the age of 95, the country's President announced this in the early hours of Friday.

"It is with the utmost sadness that I announce the passing of Zimbabwe's founding father and former President Robert Mugabe," Emmerson Mnangagwa said in his tweet.

Mugabe "was an icon of liberation, a pan-Africanist who dedicated his life to the emancipation and empowerment of his people. His contribution to the history of our nation and continent will never be forgotten. May his soul rest in eternal peace."

The former guerrilla leader swept to power in 1980 elections after a growing insurgency and economic sanctions forced the Rhodesian government to the negotiating table.

He was finally ousted in 2017 when his previously loyal military generals turned against him as the country was mired in an economic crisis.