The one who was secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006 died at the age of 80, announced his relatives.
Kofi Annan died Saturday, August 18 of a "brief illness," announced his family and the Kofi Annan Foundation, in a joint statement. The former Secretary-General of the United Nations (from 1997 to 2006) and Nobel Peace Prize winner was 80 years old. "He will be sadly missed by many people around the world, such as his Foundation teams and former United Nations colleagues. He will remain in our hearts forever, "they write.
A life of commitment to peace
Born in Ghana, April 8, 1938, he studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before taking up various posts for the United Nations from 1962. He became Secretary-General of the United Nations on January 1, 1997. In 2001, Kofi Annan and the United Nations jointly receive the Nobel Peace Prize for their commitment to peace in the world.
Kofi Annan remained engaged on international issues after the end of his second term as head of the United Nations, which ended on December 31, 2006. He became president of the World Organization Support Foundation. He also accepted the post of mediator of the UN and the Arab League in Syria, from which he resigned in 2012, saying he did not "receive all the support that the cause deserved".
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres paid tribute on Saturday to his predecessor, "a force that guided the good." "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations," he said.
source : le monde.fr