Ifeoluwa Dada
The world was turn into gloom this Saturday morning as news broke that former United Nations’ Secretary General, Kofi Atta Annan had passed on. Annan reportedly died at a hospital in Switzerland after a short illness.
Annan was appointed as the United Nations 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.
Here are 5 facts you probably didn’t know about Kofi Annan:
Kofi Annan was a twin
He and his sister were born into one of the Ghana’s Ashanti and Fante aristocratic families; both of their grandfathers and their uncle were tribal chiefs . His twin sister Efua Atta, died in 1991.
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Annan the polyglot
As expected for a diplomat of international repute like him, Annan was a multilingual. He was fluent in English, French, Akan, some Kru languages and other African languages. A quality that enhanced him for several outstanding feats in the international arena.
Calculated Diplomat
Despite his African root, Annan was widely criticized for being overly passive in his response to the Rwanda genocide of 1994. One notable voice that condemned the UN’s role in the genocide under is Annan General Dallaire ,who asserted in his book ” Shake Hands with the Devil” asserted that Annan held back UN troops from intervening to settle the conflict, and from providing more logistical and material support.
Responding in his book Interventions: “A Life in War and Peace”, Annan explained that the events in Somalia and the collapse of the UNOSOM II mission fostered a hesitation amongst UN Member states to approve robust peacekeeping operations. As a result, when the UNAMIR mission was approved just days after the battle, the resulting force lacked the troop levels, resources and mandate to operate effectively.
The Reformer
Soon after taking office in 1997, Annan released two reports on management reform. On 17 March 1997, the report Management and Organisational Measures (A/51/829) introduced new management mechanisms through the establishment of a cabinet-style body to assist him and be grouping the UN’s activities in accordance with four core missions. A comprehensive reform agenda was issued on 14 July 1997 entitled Renewing the United Nations: A Programme for Reform (A/51/950).
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
In 2001, the Nobel Committee decided that the Peace Prize was to be divided between the UN and Annan. He was awarded the Peace Prize for having revitalized the UN and for having given priority to human rights. The Nobel Committee also recognized his commitment to the struggle to containing the spread of HIV in Africa and his declared opposition to international terrorism.
Rest on Kofi Annan, the world will miss you but enjoy the peace that you stood and fought for at that other side of life.