Namibia's President Hage Geingob, 82, died in hospital early Sunday, weeks after being diagnosed with cancer.

The message on social networking site X did not specify the cause of death, but late last month, the presidency announced that he would fly to the United States for treatment after being diagnosed with cancer after a routine medical check-up.

PHOTO | COURTESY Namibia's President Hage Geingob 

According to the presidency, Geingob died at Lady Pohamba Hospital in Windhoek while being treated by his medical staff.

In 2014, while serving as Prime Minister, he informed the nation that he had overcome prostate cancer. He became president the next year.

The southern African country is set to hold presidential and legislative elections at the end of this year.

 Nangolo Mbumba, who took over as interim president on Sunday when Hage Geingob died in office, said he had no plans to run in the country's end-of-year elections.