Nigeria, Feb. 9 -- Sam Nujoma, Namibia's founding father and first president, has passed away at the age of 95 in Windhoek.

Nujoma succumbed to an illness that had kept him hospitalized for three weeks.

The announcement came on Sunday from President Nangolo Mbumba, who, in a voice heavy with grief, declared:

"The foundations of the Republic of Namibia have been shaken. The most gallant son of our land could not recover from his illness."

The Rebel Who Became a Nation's Father

Samuel Shafiishuna Nujoma was born in 1929 and herded cattle before becoming the man who herded a revolution.

By 1960, he co-founded the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) and led a nearly 30-year exile, pushing back against South African rule.

Ev...