Former UN Secretary-General and Nobel Prize Laureate Kofi Annan passed away at the age of 80 on Saturday, prompting an outpouring of tributes from world leaders and diplomats.
Annan was the first black African to take up the role of the world’s top diplomat, serving two terms from 1997 to 2006. He died in a Swiss hospital here after a short illness, with his wife Nane and three children — Ama, Kojo and Nina — by his side, the foundation named after him said.
Annan had been living near Geneva for several years. His home country, Ghana, declared a week of national mourning.
In a statement announcing his death, the Kofi Annan Foundation described him as a “global statesman and deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world”.
“During his distinguished career and leadership of the UN, he was an ardent champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law.”
Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the UN in 2001 “for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world.” His tenure as the UN chief coincided with the Iraq War and the HIV/Aids pandemic.
He later served as the UN special envoy for Syria, leading efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. He also led a UN commission to investigate the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar.
However, Annan was not immune from criticism. His critics blamed him for the UN’s failure to halt the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s when he was head of the organisation’s peacekeeping operations.
Later, after the US-led invasion of Iraq, he and his son were accused of being involved in the “oil for food corruption scandal” that led some to call for his resignation, though he was later exonerated.