Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has died in France, where he had been hospitalized for the last seven weeks.

His death was confirmed by President Nicholas Sarkozy of France in a statement issued in Paris on Tuesday. Mwanawasa, 59, was transferred to a French hospital from Egypt after suffering a stroke on the eve of the African Union summit in July.

Sarkozy said Mwanawasa's death was "a great loss for the African continent, which appreciated his political courage [and] a great loss for democracy, of which he was an ardent defender all his life." He conveyed his and the French nation's condolences to Mwanawasa and the Zambian people.

Reuters reports from Lusaka that Vice President Rupiah Banda, who will likely become acting president pending new elections, announced Mwanawasa's death in a television broadcast.

Banda told Zambians: "Fellow countrymen, with deep sorrow and grief, I would like to inform the people of Zambia that our president Dr. Levy Patrick Mwanawasa died this morning at 1030 hours [Zambian time].

"I also wish to inform the nation that national mourning starts today and will be for seven days."