Former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan dies at 80
Former UN Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan has died at age 80.
The sad news was confirmed by his foundation on Saturday.
Annan, who was born in Ghana in 1938, served as the seventh UN Secretary-General, from 1997 to 2006, and was the first to rise from within the ranks of the United Nations staff.
He had been a member of The Elders, a group of global leaders working for human rights, since it was founded in 2007. In 2013, he became its chairman.
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”.
“Wherever there was suffering or need, he reached out and touched many people with his deep compassion and empathy. He selflessly placed others first, radiating genuine kindness, warmth and brilliance in all he did.”
Annan’s tenure as UN secretary-general coincided with the Iraq War and the HIV/Aids pandemic.
According to the Foundation, 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.
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