Former president of Seychelles France-Albert Rene, who seized power in a coup and stayed in power for nearly three decades, died on Wednesday aged 83, state television said. Rene, who died in hospital, was the "modern day architect of Seychelles", President Danny Faure said in a statement. "He was a true patriot who cared about his country and his people."

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019