The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa Vera Songwe has joined the UN family in mourning the passing today, of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
“It is with the deepest regret that I learned about the passing of Kofi Annan. His tireless work and devotion to Africa up to the very last day, as he continued to advocate for peace in Zimbabwe is exactly what leadership should look like on our continent,” she said.
Ms. Songwe echoed the current Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who hailed him as “a guiding force for good” and a “proud son of Africa who became a global champion for peace and all humanity.”
Kofi Annan was born in Kumasi, Ghana, on 8 April 1938. He joined the UN system in 1962 as an administrative and budget officer with the World Health Organization in Geneva, rising through the ranks, including at the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, to hold senior-level posts in areas such as budget and finance, and peacekeeping.
He was the first black UN Secretary-General and served for two consecutive five-year terms, beginning in January 1997.
In 2001, he received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, on the 100th anniversary of the prestigious award. The prize was awarded to the United Nations and to him, as the organization's Secretary-General.
May He Rest In Peace.