World mourns death of Kofi Annan, former UN chief and celebrated diplomat

Kofi Annan, one of the world's most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the UN who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died. He was 80.

His foundation announced his death in Switzerland yesterday in a tweet, saying that he died after a short unspecified illness. "Wherever there was suffering or need, he reached out and touched many people with his deep compassion and empathy," the foundation said. Annan spent virtually his entire career as an administrator in the UN. His aristocratic style, cool-tempered elegance and political savvy helped guide his ascent to become its seventh secretary-general, and the first hired from within.

Kofi Annan's wife, Nane, was by his side when he died. Pics/AFP

He served two terms from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2006, capped nearly mid-way when he and the UN were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. During his tenure, Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body, one of its most turbulent periods since its founding in 1945. His enduring moral prestige remained largely undented, however, both through charisma and by virtue of having negotiated with most of the powers in the world.

Annan with Nelson Mandela

When he departed from the UN, he left behind a global organisation far more aggressively engaged in peacekeeping and fighting poverty, setting the framework for the UN's 21st-century response to mass atrocities and its emphasis on human rights and development. "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations," current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

Kofi Annan: Key dates
1938: Born in Kumasi, now Ghana's second city
1962: Starts working at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland
1993: Becomes head of peacekeeping operations
1997: Appointed seventh Secretary-General of the UN
2001: Wins Nobel Peace Prize
2006: Steps down as secretary-general after 10 years
2012: Becomes UN/Arab League Joint Special Envoy on the Syrian crisis
2013: Made chair of The Elders, a human rights advocacy group
2016: Leads the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, Myanmar

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