✕
News

Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan Dies At 80

by Joey Jordan,

Kofi Annan, Former UN Secretary-General Dies At 80

  • Former UN General Secretary, Kofi Annan pa s sed away at the age of 80 in Bern, Switzerland.
  • The Kofi Annan Foundation announced his death in a statement on Twitter on Saturday, 18th August.
  • Annan served as the chief of UN for 10 years from 1997 to 2006.
  • He is survived by his wife and three children.

Former United Nations General Secretary, Kofi Annan died on Saturday, August 18 in Bern, Switzerland. He was 80-year-old.

Kofi Annan Foundation confirmed his death with an emotional statement on Twitter on Saturday. The foundation announced with the immense sadness the "Annan pa s sed peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness", the statement read.

 

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, pa s sed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness... pic.twitter.com/NDOy2NmAAs

— Kofi Annan Foundation (@KofiAnnanFdn) August 18, 2018

 

The current UN chief, Antonio Guterres remembered Annan as "a guiding force for good" where the Russian President Vladimir Putin called him a "remarkable person." Former US President Barack Obama said the laureate had always pursued a "better world." He said,

Long after he had broken barriers, Kofi never stopped his pursuit of a better world.

Many political and administrative leaders,  including British prime minister Theresa May, took to their social media tributing late Annan. Here are the tweets:

 

Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family. pic.twitter.com/P0SWagShJM

— Theresa May (@theresa_may) August 18, 2018

 

Saddened to hear that Kofi Annan has pa s sed away. His warmth should never be mistaken for weakness. Annan showed that one can be a great humanitarian and a strong leader at the same time. The UN and the world have lost one of their giants.

— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) August 18, 2018

 

I am grief-stricken over the death of Kofi Annan. Kofi was the epitome of human decency and grace. In a world now filled with leaders who are anything but that, the world’s loss becomes even more painful. He was a friend to thousands and a leader of millions.

— Zeid Raad Al Hussein (@raad_zeid) August 18, 2018

 

Annan, the first and the only black African to lead the UN, served as the Secretary-General at the time when the threats of global terrorism were engulfing the world. He served the organization for a decade since 1997 to 2006. His fight to reduce those threats and secure a more peaceful world led him to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

The late Annan is survived by his wife Nane Maria Annan, and children; daughters Ama Annan, Nina Cronstedt de Groot and son Kojo Annan.

Rest In Peace Kofi.