Former UN Secretary General, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan dies

In Switzerland, in Geneva at the age of 80, the former UN Secretary-General, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan died. Reported by the UN International Organization for Migration in Twitter.

Photos: Facebook Kofi Annan

“Today we mourn the loss of a great man, leader and visionary - former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan,” the statement said.

A message was also published on Twitter on behalf of the family and his foundation, which states that the first black UN Secretary General died on August 18 after a short illness surrounded by loved ones - his wife Nane and children Ama, Kojo and Nina.

“During his impressive career, including as head of the UN, he was a champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law,” the foundation said in a statement.

The Annan family asks not to disturb them during the mourning period. About where the former Secretary General will be buried and when the farewell ceremony will take place will be known later.

The current UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterresch, expressing condolences to the family of the deceased, called him "a force that directed good."

In Ghana, declared a week of mourning, reports AFP.

What you need to know about Kofi Annan

Kofi Annan was born on April 8 of 1938 in the British colony of Gold Coast, which later became the state of Ghana, writes RIA News.

His father was the supreme leader of the Fanti and the governor of the province of Ashanti. Annan studied at home, in the USA and Switzerland. In the US, he studied at the University of Science and Technology in Kumas and received a bachelor's degree in economics from Macalester College in St. Paul (Minnesota, USA). In the 1971-1972 years, he received a scholarship named after Sloan, he studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, USA), where he received a master's degree in management.

Photos: Facebook Kofi Annan

From 1962, while still a student, he began working at the UN - first at the World Health Organization, then at other structures.

According to Bi-bi-si, he led the organization’s peacekeeping missions in Somalia and during the genocide in Rwanda. In 1997, he became the UN Secretary General. I have held this post for two consecutive terms from 1 January 1997 of the year to 31 December 2006 of the year. In total, he led the organization for ten years.

In 2001, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for “breathing new life into the UN”. After leaving the UN Secretary General, Annan was involved in resolving the conflict in Syria as a UN special envoy, and also led his own foundation and headed the organization "Elders" created by Nelson Mandela.

As UN Secretary General, Annan is known primarily for programs related to fighting poverty and the spread of HIV, as well as one of the most senior opponents of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Annan called the invasion illegal.

He mediated several difficult political situations: in 1998, he attempted to achieve Iraq’s compliance with UN Security Council resolutions requiring access to the country to international inspectorates, and also facilitated the transition to civilian rule in Nigeria after a succession of military governments (1984-1998). In 1999, he contributed to reaching an agreement between Libya and the UN Security Council in connection with the explosion of a plane over Lockerbie in 1988 and the resolution of the crisis in East Timor, writes TASS.

In 2004, he was on the verge of retirement in connection with the oil-for-food program, which allowed Iraq to sell a limited amount of oil from the middle of 1990, despite international sanctions. His son Kodjo turned out to be connected with the program, but later, following an investigation, there were no grounds for suspicion of corruption against Annan.

Kofi Annan was married. His wife is Swede Nane Annan (nee Lagergren), the niece of Swedish wrestler for the salvation of the Jews from the Nazis Raoul Wallenberg. Three children: son Kodjo, daughters Ama and Nina. Kofi Annan was fluent in English and French, but preferred to communicate first. Annan's nephew footballer Anthony Annan stands for the national team of Ghana.

Kofi had a resemblance to the appearance of the actor Morgan Freeman, which is why he was often mistaken for Freeman on the street. In an interview, he admitted that several times he gave autographs as a joke, signing for a Hollywood star. In addition, in 2001, he accepted an invitation to participate in the American children's educational program “Sesame Street”, where he was happy to answer the questions of her characters.

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