Benin declares week-long mourning for ex-leader Kerekou

Cotonou (AFP) - A week of national mourning began in Benin on Thursday for former military ruler and civilian president Mathieu Kerekou after his death aged 82.

The green, red and yellow national flag was lowered to half-mast across the West African country as political figures led tributes.

One of the world's longest-serving political leaders, Kerekou was dubbed "The Chameleon" for his transformation from Marxist-inspired coup leader to democratically-elected president.

He died in Cotonou on Wednesday. He had been ill in recent times but the cause of death was not immediately disclosed and no date for his funeral was announced.

Adrien Houngbedji, who leads the National Assembly, described Kerekou as "a great democrat, a great statesman and man of peace."

"I would even say he was surely the greatest statesman of the post-colonial period," he told reporters.

Houngbedji stood for election against Thomas Boni Yayi in 2006, when Kerekou was forced to step down as president as he had reached the constitutional age limit.

Boni Yayi won the vote and has been in power ever since.

Kerekou spent 30 years in power in all.

He seized power in 1972, 12 years after independence from France and installed a Marxist-Leninist regime until 1991 and the introduction of multi-party politics.

He returned from "retirement" in 1996 to win the presidency and ruled for a further 10 years.