Tens of thousands of Tunisians bid farewell to their first democratically elected president Beji Caid Essebsi at a state funeral on Saturday attended by several foreign leaders, Reuters reported.

Essebsi, who helped guide Tunisia’s transition to democracy after the 2011 revolution, died aged 92 on Thursday. In recent months, he was hospitalized frequently due to health issues.

He was holding the office of the President of Tunisia since 2014.

The dignitaries at the funeral included French President Emanuel Macron, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Algerian President Abdelkader Ben Saleh, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and King Felipe VI of Spain.

Hours after Essebsi’s death, parliament speaker Mohamed Ennaceur was sworn in as interim president.

The electoral commission of Tunisia announced a presidential election for September 15, two months earlier than scheduled.