Angola’s former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos has died at 79 after multiple medical battles.

On Friday, the Angolan presidency said on Facebook that Mr dos Santos died at 11:10 a.m. Spanish time at the Barcelona Teknon clinic following a prolonged illness.

The announcement described Mr dos Santos, as “a statesman of great historical scale who governed … the Angolan nation through very difficult times.”

Angola’s Joao Lourenco has announced a  five-days period for national mourning starting on Friday, when the country’s flag will fly at half mast. Public events in Angola are canceled as well.

In late June, Mr dos Santos went into a coma and was admitted into the intensive care unit at a clinic in Barcelona.

Mr dos Santos ruled for 38 years, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. He eventually stepped down in 2017.

His time in office was marked by a civil war that spanned nearly three decades against the United States-backed UNITA rebels, which he won in 2002. 

His time also saw Angola become sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest oil producer after Nigeria and mined more than $1 billion worth of diamonds each year.