Namibia’s first president, Sam Nujoma, has passed away at the age of 95. Nujoma, hailed as the country’s “founding father,” died on Saturday night after a three-week hospitalization in the capital, Windhoek.

According to the Namibian presidency, Nujoma’s death marks the end of an era for the southern African nation. He was revered as a charismatic leader who guided Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.

Nujoma was a key figure in the country’s liberation struggle, heading the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) since its inception in 1960. SWAPO has remained in power since independence, with Nujoma serving as the country’s first president for 15 years.

Many Namibians credit Nujoma’s leadership for the process of national healing and reconciliation after the deep divisions caused by the independence war and South Africa’s policies of dividing the country into ethnically based regional governments.

Nujoma was part of a generation of African leaders who led their countries out of colonial or white minority rule, including South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda, and Mozambique’s Samora Machel.

He finally quit as leader of SWAPO in 2007 at the age of 78, two years after standing down from the presidency. Nujoma’s legacy continues to be celebrated in Namibia, and his passing has been met with an outpouring of tributes and condolences.