Leaders around the world mourn Richard C. Holbrooke's death

Leaders around the world Tuesday mourned the death of the diplomat who spearheaded the end of the Bosnian war on the 15th anniversary of the peace deal he helped design.

Richard C. Holbrooke, 69, died Monday after doctors performed surgery to repair a tear in his aorta. He most recently served as the Obama administration's point man in the volatile Afghan-Pakistani war zone, CNN International informs.

Holbrooke put his tough negotiating style to good use in the leadup to Dayton. His forceful presence earned him the nicknames "the Bulldozer" and "Raging Bull", and the distinction of being "Washington's favourite last-ditch diplomat".

He served as Clinton's ambassador to the UN, and at the start of Obama's stint in the White House was called upon for another typically tough assignment - attempting to hold together the disintegrating political situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan, The Guardian reports.