Ghanaian international diplomat, Kofi Annan, the first black African to become UN secretary-general, has died aged 80 in Switzerland, his aides say.
He “passed away peacefully on Saturday after a short illness”, the foundation named after him said on Saturday. Mr Annan served two terms as UN chief from 1997 to 2006, and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for humanitarian work for his efforts.
He later served as the UN special envoy for Syria, leading efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Kofi Annan: Key dates
- 1938: Born in Kumasi, now Ghana’s second city
- 1962: Starts working at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland
- 1965: Weds Titi Alakija. They have two children, a boy and a girl
- 1984: Marries Nane Lagergren, having divorced a year earlier
- 1991: Twin sister Efua dies
- 1993: Becomes head of peacekeeping operations
- 1997: Appointed seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations
- 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 peace and human rights advocacy group
- 2016: Leads the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, Myanmar
Photo Credit: Getty
