Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General, dies aged 80

Frist published: 18 August 2018, at 6:02 am

Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has died, an official UN organisation has confirmed.

In a tweet, the UN Migration body said: "Today we mourn the loss of a great man, a leader, and a visionary."

It went on: "A life well lived. A life worth celebrating."

Speaking moments after the announcement, UN special envoy Peter Thompson told a European news channel: "He was one of the great diplomats of our time."

Remembering Mr Annan's Nobel prize, Mr Thompson said: "He was one of our greats."

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

And he added: "As a Ghanaian – a son of Africa – it is a wonderful thing to see in one of the top world positions... he carried on the legacy of Nelson Mandela... and he definitely has a place in history in that regard."

The Kofi Annan Foundation said in a statement: "It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General for the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness.

"His wife Nane and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina were by his side during his last days."

Annan, who died in a hospital in Switzerland, spent almost his entire career as an administrator in the UN and served two terms as secretary-general from January 1997 to December 2006. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.

Before becoming secretary-general, Annan served as UN peacekeeping chief and as special envoy to the former Yugoslavia, where he oversaw a transition in Bosnia from UN protective forces to NATO-led troops.

The UN peacekeeping operation faced two of its greatest failures during his tenure - the Rwanda genocide in 1994, and the massacre in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in July 1995.

He presided over the UN during some of its most turbulent times, including the Iraq War.

Tributes have been pouring to Mr Annan, including from former prime minister Tony Blair who tweeted: "I'm shocked and distressed to hear the news about Kofi. He was a good friend whom I saw only weeks ago.

"Kofi Annan was a great diplomat, a true statesman and a wonderful colleague who was widely respected and will be greatly missed. My deepest sympathy go Nane and his family."