Ex-UN Chief Kofi Annan Is Dead

Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a Ghanaian has died. The Kofi Annan Foundation said the former UN boss, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for humanitarian work, died on Saturday aged 80.

He died in Switzerland, after a brief illness, according to a tweet by the Foundation

“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”, the Foundation tweeted.

Annan served as U.N. Secretary General from 1996 to December 2006. He had earlier served in different capacities within the same organisation.

The United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres has expressed sadness over the passing away of his predecessor, calling him “a guiding force for good”.

Mr Guterres in a statement said, “Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good. “In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organisation into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination,” he added.

Mr Annan was the first black African to take up the role of the world’s top diplomat, serving two terms as the UN Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006.