Former UN Chief Kofi Annan Dies At Age 80

The Kofi Annan Foundation confirmed the death of its founder and chairman, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, on Saturday. He was 80-years-old. Condolences have poured in from all around the globe. The UN Migration Agency tweeted their grief, describing Annan as “a great man, a leader, and a visionary.” In speaking with CNN, current UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called him “an enormous source of inspiration.”

“He was not only a statesman, he was not only a leader, he was a warm person who would support his friends in difficult moments. He was a true colleague and a true friend.”

Annan rose through the ranks at the United Nations with his first position there being a Budget Officer for an agency of the organization, the World Health Organization. His next position was as Director of Tourism in his birthplace, Ghana, followed by head of personnel for the UN High Commission for Refugees, Director of Administrative Management Services of the UN Secretariat in New York, and three positions as Assistant Secretary General – Human Resources Management and Security Coordinator; Program Planning, Budget and Finance, and Controller; and Peacekeeping Operations.

Annan held his position in Peacekeeping Operations during the battle of Somalia and during the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and later expressed regret at not doing more. He said in 20014, “I believed at the time that I was doing my best, but I realized after the genocide that there was more that I could have and should have done.”

“In these turbulent and trying times, he never stopped working to give life to the values of the United Nations Charter. His legacy will remain a true inspiration for all of us.”
— @AntonioGuterres on the passing of @KofiAnnan, 18 Aug 2018 pic.twitter.com/dLdnBOJFLF

— United Nations (@UN) August 18, 2018

Annan began his first term as UN Secretary General in 1997. In their statement about his death, the Kofi Annan Foundation described him during that time as “an ardent champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights, and the rule of law.” He served two terms in this position. His first was seen as highly successful while his second, which fell during the U.S. invasion of Iraq, was less so. In February 2012, he was appointed the UN–Arab League Joint Special Representative for Syria and was tasked with helping to find a solution to the country’s ongoing conflict. He quit after six months, citing rising militarization and a “clear lack of unity” within the U.N.

At the time of his death, he had also been a member of The Elders, a humanitarian group created by Nelson Mandela, since 2007. He had served as the group’s chairman since 2013. The group issued a statement on his death in which they said, “We are devastated at the loss of our dear friend and fellow Elder. Kofi was a strong and inspiring presence to us all, and the Elders would not be where it is today without his leadership.”

In 2001, Kofi Annan and the United Nations received the Nobel Peace Prize “for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world.” Carl Bildt, co-chairman of the European Council on Foreign Relations and the former Swedish Prime Minister posted a tweet in which he encouraged people to read Kofi Annan’s 2001 Nobel Peace Prize lecture.

This sad day one should take time to reread Kofi Annan’s 2001 Nobel peace prize lecture. https://t.co/AthPjNNLOa

— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) August 18, 2018

The Kofi Annan Foundation reports that he had been ill for a short amount of time before his death. His cause of death has not been disclosed. He was reportedly surrounded by his family when he passed – his wife of 34 years Nane, and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina.