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Kofi Annan , the former United Nations Secretary General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate has died at the age of 80 after a short illness, his foundation announced.
“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 said in a statement.
“His wife Nane and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina were by his side during his last days.”
Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, a former UN diplomat, who knew Kofi Annan very well tweeted his grief . Tharoor in one of his tweets described Annan as his friend and mentor.
Deeply shocked to learn of the passing of my friend & mentor #KofiAnnan. The last time we spoke he had accepted my invitation to come to Kerala in 2022 to celebrate his “thousand moons”. He was so fit I had no doubt he would go on well past that date. I have lost an elder brother
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 18, 2018
Kofi Annan was a proud son of Africa, a great admirer of India, a voice of the developing world, a paragon of internationalism & an exemplar of humanity. The @UN was fortunate to have been led by him at a pivotal moment in world history. He remains one of its greatest SecGens. https://t.co/CxPxtYNZIo
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 18, 2018
The Ghanaian national, who lived in Switzerland, was a career diplomat who projected quiet charisma and who is widely credited for raising the world body’s profile in global politics during his two terms as UN chief, from 1997 to 2006.
He quickly became a familiar face on television, with his name making newspaper headlines, and he was a sought-after guest at gala events and New York dinner parties.
Current UN chief Antonio Guterres voiced deep sadness at the news, describing his predecessor as “a guiding force for good”. “In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations,” he added. “He rose through the ranks to lead the organisation into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination.
