The sad news of the death of Kofi Annan is being reported today. He was a man I held in high regard, especially during the build-up to the U.S.'s invasion of Iraq in 2023. As then-Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan – in both his words and presence – stood in stark contrast to the outright lies and bellicose posturing of the Bush/Cheney administration. He truly was a noble and inspiring “guiding force for good,” in the words of current U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres. May he Rest in Peace and Power.
Kofi Annan, a former United Nations secretary-general, died at the age of 80 early Saturday at a hospital in Bern, Switzerland, following a short unspecified illness.
The Kofi Annan Foundation confirmed the death of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who was born in Ghana in 1938.
“His wife Nane and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina were by his side during his last days,” the foundation named after him wrote.
Annan became the seventh U.N. secretary-general (and its first black African one) in 1997, after rising through the system’s ranks from his first role at the World Health Organization of administrative and budget officer in 1962.
He remained in the top secretary-general position for two terms, until 2006. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, jointly with the U.N., for “revitalizing” the body and giving “priority to human rights.”
But as the Reuters news agency noted, Annan was criticized during his earlier time as head of the U.N.’s peacekeeping forces for failing “to halt the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s.”
“The international community failed Rwanda and that must leave us always with a sense of bitter regret,” Annan said, on reflection, in 2004. “I believed at that time that I was doing my best. But I realized after the genocide that there was more that I could and should have done to sound the alarm and rally support.”
The U.N. Oil-for-Food scandal also occurred on his watch. During his tenure, Annan campaigned against the second Iraq War. After leaving the top role, Annan later served as U.N. special envoy for Syria.
The Kofi Annan Foundation has hailed Annan as “a global statesman and a deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world.” It called him “an ardent champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law.”
“He will be greatly missed by so many around the world, as well as the staff at the Foundation and his many former colleagues in the United Nations system,” it added. “He will remain in our hearts forever.”
Current U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres described Annan as a “guiding force for good,” “a good friend and mentor” and “someone I could always turn to for counsel and wisdom.”
“He provided people everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a path to a better world,” Guterres said via a statement shared online. “In these turbulent and trying times, he never stopped working to give life to the values of the United Nations Charter. His legacy will remain a true inspiration for all of us.”
– Lee Moran
From “Kofi Annan, Former United Nations
Secretary-General, Dead At 80
The Huffington Post
August 18, 2018
From “Kofi Annan, Former United Nations
Secretary-General, Dead At 80
The Huffington Post
August 18, 2018
When I shared the news of Annan’s death on Facebook earlier today, one friend who lives in Africa asserted that it is only in “the West” that Annan and his legacy are being remembered favorably. That’s not actually true, as I pointed out with the following examples.
• In its statement on the passing of Annan, the African National Congress (ANC) referred to him as “an eminent and distinguished son of Africa . . . who played an immeasurable role in shaping the global agenda in favour of the people of the developing South.” The statement goes on to say that, “As the 7th United Nations Secretary-General from 1996 to 2006, Mr. Annan painstakingly utilised his tenure to advance peace and sustainable development, while working determinedly to push back the frontiers of poverty and underdevelopment.” The ANC added that at the time of his passing, Annan formed part of the group of eminent persons, The Elders, which works together for peace and human rights.
• The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) said that Annan “was a tremendous leader of progress in the world, improving the lives of millions of individuals in Africa and beyond through his work. It was Annan’s call for a uniquely African green revolution to ensure that Africa can feed itself that led to AGRA’s creation in 2006 to improve the incomes and livelihoods of Africa’s smallholder farmers. Mr. Annan was the Founding Chair of AGRA and continued offering leadership and guidance to the institution right up until this year as our Board Chair Emeritus.”
• The national leader of Nigeria’s All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said that Annan will be remembered for his remarkable role in ensuring stability of democratic governments in Africa. Tinubu, in a statement issued by his Media Officer, Tunde Rahman, in Lagos, said the late Kofi Annan initiated interventions in conflict resolution around the world, aimed at achieving world peace. According to him, Kofi Annan was Africa’s gift to the world and a wonderful servant to the international community. As a tireless champion of human rights for all, Annan’s time at the UN, said Tinubu, was remarkable for his role in ensuring stability of democratic governments in Africa and intervention in conflict resolution around the world aimed at achieving world peace. “His diplomatic achievements, both before or after becoming the UN Secretary-General, are legion,” he said. Tinubu also said that Annan spearheaded several initiatives on Africa, including his chairmanship of the Africa Progress Panel and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). “Specifically, he will be remembered for his important contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS epidemic, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.”
• In Annan’s home country, Ghana, President Nana Akufo-Addo described him as “one of our greatest compatriots” and declared a week of mourning to pay respect to the former UN chief.
Another friend rather snarkily commented: “I’ll leave it a day or two for a balanced account of his legacy – let’s see: Bosnia, Rwanda, Syria, Oil-for-Food. . . . He got off easy.” To which I responded: “Nowhere near as easy as George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Tony Blair, John Howard, et al. who where the actually architects, facilitators and/or enablers of the greatest social and political catastrophe to date of the 21st century. I'd take your critique of Annan more serious if I knew you have been (or are) at least equally critical of these folks.”
Related Off-site Links:
Former U.N. chief and Nobel Peace Laureate Kofi Annan Dies aged 80 – Kwasi Kpodo and Stephanie Nebehay (Reuters, August 18, 2018).
Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan Dies at Age 80 – Associated Press via MPR News (August 18, 2018).
Kofi Annan Regrets Failing to Prevent Genocide in Rwanda – The New Times (October 8, 2012).
See also the previous Wild Reed post:
• The Tenth Anniversary of the U.S. Invasion of Iraq
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