“Diplomatic Rock Star” Died At The Age Of 80

Kofi Annan, the soft-spoken Ghanaian diplomat who served as the first United Nations secretary-general from sub-Saharan Africa, has died. Annan died Saturday (18th August) after an unspecified short illness, according to a statement from his family and the Kofi Annan Foundation. He was 80 years old.

Quick Bio 

Kofi Annan was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, from January 1997 to December 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founder and chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation, as well as chairman of The Elders, an international organization founded by Nelson Mandela.

Born in Kumasi, Annan went on to study economics at Macalester College, international relations from the Graduate Institute Geneva and management at MIT. Annan joined the UN in 1962, working for the World Health Organization’s Geneva office. He went on to work in several capacities at the UN Headquarters including serving as the Under-Secretary-General for peacekeeping between March 1992 and December 1996. He was appointed as the Secretary-General on 13 December 1996 by the Security Council, and later confirmed by the General Assembly, making him the first office holder to be elected from the UN staff itself. He was re-elected for a second term in 2001, and was succeeded as Secretary-General by Ban Ki-moon on 1 January 2007.

The world lost one of the great leaders of our time. Leaders of such calibre leave a huge void that is felt throughout the globe. What kind of leader are you? Make a statement that lasts longer like Hugo Boss, it’s a scent that does the talk for you. At the end of the day you won’t choose what people should miss you about.

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Salute

Anele@MANBOX