‘Icon Of Liberation’: Life And Times Of Zimbabwe's Founding Leader Robert Mugabe In Pictures

On February 21, 2018, Mugabe marked his first birthday since his resignation in near solitude, far from the lavish affair of past years. /AFP IMAGE

His successor Emmerson Mnangagwa confirmed Mugabe's death in a tweet, mourning him as an "icon of liberation". /AFP IMAGE

Robert Mugabe, the longtime leader of Zimbabwe who was forced to resign in 2017 after a military takeover, passed away on Friday. /AFP IMAGE

While Mugabe blamed Zimbabwe's economic problems on Western sanctions and once said he wanted to rule for life, growing discontent about the country's leadership prompted a military intervention, impeachment proceedings and large street demonstrations. /AFP IMAGE

Mugabe was a former guerrilla chief who took power after the end of white minority rule in 1980 and presided over a country whose early promise was eroded by economic turmoil and human rights violations. /AFP IMAGE