AKIPRESS.COM - Tunisia's President Beni Caid Essebsi, the North African country's first democratically elected leader, has died at the age of 92, according to the presidency.

One of the world's oldest leaders, Essebsi died at the Tunis military hospital on Thursday.

He was hospitalised with a severe illness in late June, but returned to intensive care on Thursday, his son said. Earlier, Hafedh Caid Essebsi told AFP news agency that "things are not going well".