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UN-SWITZERLAND-GHANA-ANNAN,UPDATE
Former UN chief and Nobel laureate Kofi Annan dies
GENEVA, Aug 18, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Former United Nations Secretary General
and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan died at the age of 80 on Saturday
after a short illness, his foundation announced.
“It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan
Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United
Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th
August after a short illness,” the foundation said in a statement.
“His wife Nane and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina were by his side
during his last days.”
The Ghanaian national, who lived in Switzerland, was a career diplomat who
projected quiet charisma and who is widely credited for raising the world
body’s profile in global politics during his two terms as UN chief, from 1997
to 2006.
He quickly became a familiar face on television, with his name making
newspaper headlines, and he was a sought-after guest at gala events and New
York dinner parties.
Current UN chief Antonio Guterres voiced deep sadness at the news,
describing his predecessor as “a guiding force for good”.
“In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations,” he added.
“He rose through the ranks to lead the organisation into the new millennium
with matchless dignity and determination.
“Like so many, I was proud to call Kofi Annan a good friend and mentor.”
The first secretary general from sub-Saharan Africa, Annan led the United
Nations through the divisive years of the Iraq war and was later accused of
corruption in the oil-for-food scandal, one of the most trying times of his
tenure.
In 2001, as the world was reeling from the September 11 attacks, Annan was
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the world body “for their work for
a better organised and more peaceful world”.
– ‘Humanity’s best example’ –
Born in Kumasi, the capital city of Ghana’s Ashanti region, Annan was the
son of an executive of a European trading company, the United Africa company,
a subsidiary of the Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever.
After ending his second term as UN chief, Annan went on to take high-
profile mediation roles in Kenya and in Syria.
He later set up a foundation devoted to conflict resolution and joined the
Elders group of statesmen which regularly speaks out on global issues.
The UN high commissioner for human rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said he was
grief-stricken over Annan’s death.
“Kofi was humanity’s best example, the epitome, of human decency and grace.
In a world now filled with leaders who are anything but that, our loss, the
world’s loss becomes even more painful,” he said.
“He was a friend to thousands and a leader of millions.”
BSS/AFP/MRI/1703 hrs