It seems strange to be writing this so soon after a post celebrating 50 years of Zambian independence, but last night President Michael Sata died in hospital in London. He was 77 and is the second president to die in office (the other being Levy Mwanawasa in 2008). At time of writing, it is unclear who will succeed him.
I can only pray for the ongoing peace and prosperity of the country, and for those grieving at this time.
A detailed obituary can be found here, on the BBC News website.