World grieves the death of Kofi Annan
New Delhi: Sun, 19 Aug 2018 13:25, by: Deepak Kumar

One of the most well-known international peacekeepers and the Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan passed away at the age of 80 on Saturday 18thAugust.  Annan’s organization announced his death in a tweet stating that the Nobel Peace Laureate passed away peacefully after a short illness.

World leaders are paying tribute to the great leader -- as his home country, Ghana, is observing a week of national mourning. Annan served the world’s largest diplomatic body the United Nations (UN) as the 7th Secretary-General from Jan 1997 to Dec 2006.

Current UN Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres in a statement hailed Annan as a “guiding force for good” and added that “in these turbulent and trying times, his legacy as a global champion for peace will remain a true inspiration.”

During his tenure at the UN, he faced many critical phases of the World with 9/11 attacks and the Iraq invasion by US in 2003. During that critical diplomatic phase and thereafter, we saw him involved in many peace keeping andhumanitarian works that have certainly made the world a better place.

Remembering Kofi Annan, former US President Barak Obama in a Facebook post says:
“Kofi Annan was a diplomat and humanitarian who embodied the mission of the United Nations like few others. …Annan never stopped his pursuit of a better world.”



So was his work and reach that Anna – thefirst black African to lead UN became a household name all over the world. Most of the kids of 90s see him as a great compassionate leader, who worked for the betterment of the world.

In recent times, Annan was also a part of the UN–Arab League as Joint Special Representative for Syria, which he joined in 2012 as a Special Envoy to find a resolution to the ongoing crisis. He later resignedas the UN-Arab League mediator in Syria, citing lack of unity in the Security Council.

Being a son of Ghana, he also worked tirelessly for the development in African nations. He was actively involved in many initiatives, including combatting HIV, peace movements in Kenya, stressing the importance of women rights and his opposition to international terrorism.

The name Kofi Annan has touched many lives. He was someone who always looked at the positive things in the world and hence never hesitated in voicing his opinion against unfairness. Therefore, he not only criticized former US President Barack Obama’s policy on Libya, but also regrets current President of the United States Mr. Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

President of RussiaVladimir Putin remembers Annan by saying that “memory of Kofi Annan will remain in the hearts of Russians forever.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet: “The world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security.Kofi Annan’s significant contribution to the MDGs will always be remembered.”

We express our profound sorrow at the passing away of Nobel Laureate and former UNSG Mr. Kofi Annan. The world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security.


May the soul of this great man Kofi Annan rest in eternal peace!

--Deepak Kumar

  Author

Deepak Kumar - Editor

Deepak Kumar is Science Graduate from Delhi University with more than 17 years of experience in Media and Technical field. With a background in Science and Media field, Deepak has been offering services in the media houses. He has worked as director and chief in many companies. During his journalistic career, he has achieved many milestones working in various organisations. As a technical writer, he is of scientific bend of mind and has done many glorious stories in the field during the career.

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