MANAMA: Bahrain’s Prince Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, the world’s longest-serving prime minister who had held the post since independence in 1971, died Wednesday at the age of 84, state media announced.
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“The Royal Court mourns His Royal Highness … who passed away this morning at Mayo Clinic Hospital in the United States of America,” the Bahrain News Agency (BNA) said, adding that the country will hold a week of official mourning.
The burial ceremony will take place after the body has been transported home from the US, and will be limited to a “specific number” of relatives in line with coronavirus restrictions.
During the mourning period, flags will be flown at half-mast and government ministries and departments closed for three days.
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Prince Khalifa was a controversial figure during his long time in office – and deeply unpopular with the Sunni-ruled kingdom’s Shiite majority.
When Shiite-led protesters occupied Manama’s Pearl Square for a month in 2011, before being driven out by Saudi-backed security forces, their main demand was for Khalifa to step down.
-FMT