Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General, passes away

Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, passed away on Saturday morning after a short illness at the age of 80, official sources said.

“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 18^th August after a short illness,” the foundation said in a statement.

Annan was the first African to take up the role of the world's top diplomat, who served as the seventh Secretary General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006. Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his commitment to Human Rights.

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

— Kofi Annan (@KofiAnnan) August 18, 2018

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who served as Under-Secretary General of the United Nations during Kofi Annan's leadership, condoled the demise of the former UN chief saying he lost an elder brother.

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

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo on Saturday declared a week of mourning to pay homage to Kofi Annan. Describing Annan as a 'consummate' diplomat, Akufo-Addo said in a statement that Ghana was 'deeply saddened' by news of his death in Switzerland on Saturday after a short illness.