Jacques Joaquim Yhombi Opango, who was president of Congo from 1977 until he was toppled in 1979, has died of coronavirus.

The former president died in a Paris hospital on Monday. He was 81 years old.

According to his son, who spoke with AFP News, Yhombi Opango was ill before contracting the virus.

Coupled with his old age, the odd was hugely somewhat against him surviving the virus that has so far killed 38,000 people according to Worldometer.

Opango was born in 1939 in the country’s northern Cuvette region. He became the president of his country after the assassination of President Marien Ngouabi.