Kofi Annan, the first black African to lead the United Nations, is no more. He was the first black person to head the organization and died in the Swiss city of Bern after a short illness on Saturday.
Annan, who was born in Ghana in 1938, served as the seventh UN Secretary-General, from 1997 to 2006, and was awarded the Nobel peace prize for his humanitarian work jointly with the UN as an organization in 2001.
Annan’s foundation issued a statement on his Twitter account on Saturday that described him as a “global statesman and deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world”.
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… pic.twitter.com/42nGOxmcPZ
— Kofi Annan (@KofiAnnan) August 18, 2018
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to his social media handle and wrote “We express our profound sorrow at the passing away of Nobel laureate and former UNSG Mr. Kofi Annan. The world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security”.
We express our profound sorrow at the passing away of Nobel Laureate and former UNSG Mr. Kofi Annan. The world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2018
Annan passed away peacefully Saturday morning after a short illness, with his wife Nane and their three children by his side during his final days.
May his soul rest in peace!