Niger Republic’s Minister of Employment and Labour, Mohamed Ben Omar is dead.

His death was announced on Sunday at the main hospital of the capital Niamey, according to Guardian.

His party, the Social Democratic Party confirmed his death.

They, however, failed to disclose the cause of the death, but many suspect he might have died of coronavirus disease.

Niger has confirmed 736 cases of COVID-19 with 35 deaths.

Reacting, President Mahamadou Issoufou described Omar’s death as shocking.

He said he received the news with a “heavy heart”.

Omar led the PSD, which is allied with Issoufou’s Party for Democracy and Socialism and became Issoufou’s labour minister since 2017.

Omar began his political life in 1999 under president Mamadou Tandja, serving in parliament.