The former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, has died at the age of 80 after a short illness, his family and foundation announced on Saturday.
The Ghanaian was the seventh secretary general and served for two terms between 1997 and 2006. He was awarded the Nobel peace prize for his humanitarian work jointly with the UN as an organisation in 2001.
He died in hospital in Bern, Switzerland in the early hours of Saturday with his wife, Nane, and three children Ama, Kojo and Nina, by his side. He had retired to Geneva and later lived in a Swiss village.
Kofi Annan - in pictures Read more
Annan’s foundation issued a statement on his Twitter account on Saturday that described him as a “global statesman and deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world”.
Kofi Annan (@KofiAnnan) 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
The statement added that Annan, who succeeded Boutros Boutros-Ghali as UN leader, was a “son of Ghana and felt a special responsibility towards Africa”.
The current UN secretary general, António Guterres, whom Annan appointed to lead its refugee agency, said: “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.”
Kofi Annan: 'Sometimes you don't have to pick a fight to get your way' Read more
The former UK prime minister Tony Blair said on Twitter that he was shocked and distressed by Annan’s death. “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 to Nane and his family,” he said.
Theresa May, the UK prime minister, said on Twitter:
Theresa May (@theresa_may) Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family. pic.twitter.com/P0SWagShJM
Annan was chair of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders working for peace and human rights founded by Nelson Mandela. Gro Harlem Brundtland, the former prime minister of Norway and the body’s deputy chair, said she and her colleagues were devastated by Annan’s death.
“Kofi was a strong and inspiring presence to us all, and The Elders would not be where it is today without his leadership. Throughout his life, Kofi worked unceasingly to improve the lives of millions of people around the world,” she said.
Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty International’s secretary general, said the world had lost a great leader: “Kofi’s dedication and drive for a more peaceful and just world, his lifelong championing of human rights, and the dignity and grace with which he led will be sorely missed in a world which needs these characteristics more than ever.”
Play Video 0:24 Kofi Annan is awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2001 - video
Born in Kumasi, Ghana, on 8 April 1938, Annan joined the UN system in 1962 as an administrative officer with the World Health Organization in Geneva. He later served with the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, the UN Emergency Force in Ismailia, the UN high commissioner for refugees in Geneva and in several senior posts at its headquarters in New York.
Before becoming secretary general, he was under-secretary general for peacekeeping and also served as special representative of the secretary general to the former Yugoslavia between 1995 and 1996.
The UN peacekeeping operation faced two of its most criticised incidents under Annan’s leadership for its conduct during the Rwanda genocide in 1994 and the massacre in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in July 1995.
In both cases, the UN had deployed troops under Annan’s command, but they failed to save the lives of the civilians they were mandated to protect. After becoming secretary general, he ordered UN reports on both debacles that were highly critical of his management.
Play Video 0:37 Moment Kofi Annan was sworn in as UN secretary general in 1996 - video
His tenure as secretary general, which began six years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and also covered the 11 September 2001 attacks and subsequent US-led war against Iraq, was one of the UN’s most turbulent periods since its founding in 1945.
Annan used his final speech as secretary general in December 2006 to deliver a parting shot at the administration of George W Bush, accusing the US of committing human rights abuses in the name of fighting terrorism.
The Guardian concluded at the time that the speech amounted to a broad condemnation of the neoconservative ideology guiding US foreign policy under Bush and was a clear break with protocol for a departing UN chief. US forces invaded Iraq in March 2003 without the approval of the UN security council.
“When power, especially military force, is used, the world will consider it legitimate only when convinced that it is being used for the right purpose – for broadly shared aims in accordance with broadly accepted norms,” he said in the speech delivered at the Harry Truman presidential library in Independence, Missouri.
He acknowledged more recently that the UN still had its faults. “The UN can be improved, it is not perfect but if it didn’t exist you would have to create it,” he told the BBC during an interview for his 80th birthday in April. “I am a stubborn optimist, I was born an optimist and will remain an optimist.”
ACCRA, KOMPAS.com - Mantan Sekretaris Jenderal Persatuan Bangsa-bangsa ( PBB), Kofi Annan, dilaporkan meninggal dunia.
Kabar tersebut diumumkan oleh Badan PBB untuk Migrasi melalui kicauan di Twitter, sebagaimana diwartakan CNN Sabtu (18/8/2018).
Baca juga: Kofi Annan Desak DK PBB Pastikan Warga Rohingya Kembali ke Myanmar
"Dengan kesedihan yang mendalam, kami mengumumkan bahwa Kofi Annan, telah meninggal dengan tenang di usia 80 tahun," ujar badan migrasi PBB.
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
Mantan Sekretaris Jenderal (Sekjen) Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa (PBB) Kofi Annan meninggal dunia di usia 80 tahun. Annan meninggal dunia setelah menderita sakit mendadak. Seperti dilansir AFP dan Reuters , Sabtu (18/8/2018), kabar kepergian Annan ini disampaikan oleh pihak Kofi Annan Foundation. "Dengan kesedihan mendalam, keluarga Annan dan Kofi Annan Foundation mengumumkan bahwa Kofi Annan, mantan Sekretaris Jenderal PBB dan Penerima Nobel Perdamaian, meninggal dunia dengan damai pada Sabtu, 18 Agustus, setelah menderita sakit mendadak," demikian pernyataan pihak yayasan.
Dituturkan dua kerabat dekatnya, Annan yang berkewarganegaraan Ghana ini meninggal dunia saat menjalani perawatan di sebuah rumah sakit di Bern, Swiss. Annan meninggal dunia pada Sabtu (18/8) pagi waktu setempat. Annan menjabat sebagai Sekjen PBB ke-7 antara tahun 1997-2006. Dia merupakan Sekjen PBB pertama yang menjabat dari jajaran staf PBB. Annan meninggalkan seorang istri bernama Nane dan tiga anak.
(CNN) Former UN Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan has died at age 80, his foundation confirmed 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 also been a member, since 2007, of The Elders, a humanitarian group of a dozen leaders and activists of worldwide stature formed by Nelson Mandela. In 2013, Annan became its chairman.
The Kofi Annan Foundation confirmed his death with "immense sadness" in a statement posted on Twitter.
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/NDOy2NmAAs
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, the statement said.
The foundation paid tribute to Annan as a "global statesman and a deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer, more peaceful world."
"During his distinguished career and leadership of the United Nations, he was an ardent champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law."
Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the United Nations in 2001 " for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world ."
Tributes pour in
As news of Annan's death has spread, many are paying tribute to a man who became a global figure as head of the United Nations but was also known by those close to him for his warmth and charm.
Current UN Secretary-General António Guterres told CNN that Annan had been "an enormous source of inspiration" to him, adding that the late leader had been committed to his principles and values even if he had to pay a heavy price for them.
"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," he said.
The UN Migration Agency tweeted: "Today we mourn the loss of a great man, a leader, and a visionary."
Today we mourn the loss of a great man, a leader, and a visionary: former @UN Secretary General @KofiAnnan.
A life well lived. A life worth celebrating. pic.twitter.com/3sLmy7VS2p — IOM - UN Migration (@UNmigration) August 18, 2018
UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said he was "grief-stricken" over Annan's death, adding that he was a "friend to thousands and a leader of millions."
"Kofi was humanity's best example, the epitome, of human decency and grace," he said. "In a world now filled with leaders who are anything but that, our loss, the world's loss becomes even more painful."
A statement from The Elders said its members were "shocked and deeply saddened" by the loss of their friend and colleague.
"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," said deputy chairman Gro Harlem Brundtland, adding that the group was resolved to continue to uphold Annan's values and legacy.
Carl Bildt, co-chairman of the European council on Foreign Relations and former Swedish Prime Minister, described Annan as "a man of courage, wisdom and friendship" and urged people to read his 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
Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo extended condolences on behalf of the entire nation and said the Ghanaian flag would fly at half staff across the country and in all of Ghana's diplomatic missions for a week, starting Monday.
As the first person from sub-Saharan Africa to become UN Secretary-General, Annan "brought considerable renown to our country" he said. "He was an ardent believer in the capacity of the Ghanaian to chart his or her own course onto the path of progress and prosperity."
Zimbabwe opposition leader Nelson Chamisa said he was deeply saddened by the news, having met with Annan only a few days ago. "A rare breed of diplomat; soft spoken but unshakably firm. He had great love for world peace & democracy," he wrote on Twitter. "Go well son of Africa, Champion of the world!"
Deeply saddened by the sudden passing of the iconic Kofi Annan whom I met a few days ago. A rare breed of diplomat; soft spoken but unshakeably firm. He had great love for world peace & democracy. A believer in Zimbabwe & its people. Go well son of Africa, Champion of the world! — Nelson Chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) August 18, 2018
Kenya National Assembly Speaker J. B. Muturi also recalled that Annan was "the first African to become the UN boss," adding: "Annan's dedication and commitment to peace efforts across the globe has been unwavering and will be solely missed by all."
NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg tweeted that the world had lost one of its giants. "His warmth should never be mistaken for weakness," he said. "Annan showed that one can be a great humanitarian and a strong leader at the same time."
Saddened to hear that Kofi Annan has passed away. His warmth should never be mistaken for weakness. Annan showed that one can be a great humanitarian and a strong leader at the same time. The UN and the world have lost one of their giants. — Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) August 18, 2018
The director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, praised Annan as a "great leader."
What shaped his global thinking?
Annan was descended from tribal chiefs on both sides of his family. After studying in Ghana and at Macalester College in St. Paul, in the US state of Minnesota, he joined the United Nations in 1962 as a low-ranking officer with the World Health Organization in Geneva.
He thought he would stay only a few years but ended up spending almost his entire working life with the organization.
Annan avoided potentially career-ending moments while serving in the department of peacekeeping.
In 1994, the UN Security Council and others including Annan were accused by the UN field commander in Rwanda of ignoring his warnings. An estimated 800,000 people died as the world was reluctant to send troops in.
Speaking in 2004, Annan said: "I believed at the that 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."
The next year, thousands of Muslims were massacred in Srebrenica as Bosnian Serbs overran a UN "safe zone."
Annan would later say Rwanda and Srebrenica would shape his global thinking. The Secretary-General at the time, Boutros Boutros Ghali, took the heat for UN failings.
Champion of human rights
On taking the helm as Secretary-General in 1997, Annan became a high-profile figure who championed human rights and urged the United Nations to protect civilians if their own governments turned on them.
His first term was highly-rated but his second term, which coincided with the US invasion of Iraq, was not as smooth.
Joint Special Envoy for Syria Kofi Annan addresses the UN General Assembly on the situation in Syria in June 2012 in New York.
In February 2012, the United Nations appointed Annan the UN and Arab League joint special envoy to Syria. Only six months later, he quit , citing increasing militarization in Syria and "the clear lack of unity" at the UN Security Council.
In a statement released by the United Nations, Guterres described Annan as both a personal mentor and an inspiration to all.
"He provided people everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a path to a better world. 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."
