Paddy Ashdown, a former leader of Britain's Liberal Democrats who served as the international high representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina from 2002 until 2006, has died at the age of 77.

The Liberal Democratic Party made the announcement on December 22. In November, Ashdown revealed that he was being treated for bladder cancer.

During his time as the international high representative in Bosnia, Ashdown removed corrupt officials and pushed the country to carry out painful reforms intended to strengthen the central government vis-a-vis the country's two constituent entities -- the Republica Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation.

In particular, he backed defense reforms to merge the country's two, ethnically segregated armies into one.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and dpa