The African Union has welcomed the resignation of Robert Mugabe as Zimbabwe’s president.
Alpha Conde, the president of Guinea and current chairperson of the AU, hailed Mr. Mugabe as a “great fighter” who should have left office for a while before now.
“It is a shame that he is leaving through the back door and that he is forsaken by the parliament,” Mr. Conde said according to the BBC.
He added that the presidential election in Zimbabwe should be held in 2018 and that the African Union will offer all its support to the country.
Mr. Mugabe resigned Tuesday afternoon, a week after the military intervened in the country’s politics and truncated the former president’s attempt to install his wife as the next president.
Mr. Mugabe ruled for 37 years, coming to power immediately after the country gained independence in 1980.
His resignation was greeted by wild jubilation by Zimbabweans, who have accused him of worsening the country’s economy during his autocratic reign.
