GENEVA | The Latest: US's Pompeo sends condolences over Annan's death
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GENEVA | The Latest: US's Pompeo sends condolences over Annan's death
GENEVA â The Latest on the death of former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan (all times local)
3 a.m.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed his sadness over the death of former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and sent his condolences to his family.
âMr. Annan spent his life advocating for peace and human dignity during his long career at the United Nations,â Pompeo said in a statement.
âEven after leaving his post as Secretary-General he embodied the mission of the United Nations, by sowing the seeds of peace as Chair of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders committed to advancing the cause of peace and promoting human rights around the world,â he said.
The Ghanaian-born Annan, the first black African to become U.N. secretary-general, died Saturday at age 80.
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8:20 p.m.
Tributes from global leaders continue for Kofi Annan, the first black African U.N. secretary-general who died early Saturday at age 80 after strengthening the world bodyâs focus on peacekeeping and fighting poverty.
âThe world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security,â Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says.
âWe will remember him as a man of much action in the international arena, who fought anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial,â Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says.
âAn inspiration,â Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa says. One of Annanâs last major public statements condemned the deadly violence in Zimbabwe after the July 30 historic election as âcompletely unacceptable.â
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5:10 p.m.
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says former U.N. chief Kofi Annan âdevoted his life to making the world a more peaceful placeâ and âworked tirelessly to unite us.â
Nikki Haley in a statement says the U.S. joins the U.N. and diplomatic community in celebrating the life of Annan, the first black African to become U.N. chief. He died in the early hours Saturday at age 80 after a short illness.
Many world leaders from Britain to Germany to Nigeria to India have responded publicly to Annanâs death but President Donald Trump has not.
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5 p.m.
Former U.S. president Barack Obama says former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan âembodied the mission of the United Nations like few others.â
Obama says in a statement that long after Annan âhad broken barriers,â he ânever stopped his pursuit of a better world.â
Annan rose through the U.N. ranks to become the first black African secretary-general in 1997. When he departed in 2006, he left behind a global organization far more aggressively engaged in peacekeeping and fighting poverty.
Obama added that Annanâs âsense of our common humanity always informed his outreach to the community of nations.â
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3:20 p.m.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan âinspired me and many others with his ideas, his firm convictions and, not least, his charisma.â
Merkel says in a statement that Annan, who died early Saturday in Switzerland, shaped the United Nations âlike hardly anyone before himâ and said that âhe knew how to spark enthusiasm, particularly among young people.â
Merkel adds that âin our present time, in which the common search for solutions to global problems is more urgent than ever, we will greatly miss Kofi Annanâs voice.â
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in a separate statement is mourning the âpassing of my old friend and inspiration.â
He adds that âthe greatest recognition we can give Kofi Annan is to keep his legacy and his spirit alive. It has never been more important than in todayâs world.â
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2:35 p.m.
People across Africa are expressing shock and sorrow over the death of Ghanaian-born Kofi Annan, the first black African to become U.N. secretary-general. His death at age 80 was announced Saturday.
âWe are devastated,â the Nelson Mandela Foundation says in a statement. âAfrica and the world has lost a special human being.â Annan had been chair of The Elders, an elite group of former leaders founded by Mandela.
African leaders including Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa are offering condolences.
Nigeriaâs Amina Mohammed, the U.N. deputy secretary-general, says in a tweet that Annan âgave hope to the voicelessâ and she calls him âmy friend, my hero, my inspiration.â
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2:25 p.m.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he admired former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, whose death at age 80 was announced on Saturday, for his wisdom and courage.
The Kremlinâs press office quotes Putinâs message to the current U.N. chief offering condolences to the U.N. as well as Annanâs family and his native Ghana.
âI sincerely admired his wisdom and courage as well as his ability to make balanced decisions even under the most dire and critical circumstances,â Putin says. âRussians will keep the memory of him forever.â
In Iran, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a tweet calls Annan âa towering global leader and an unwavering champion for peace, justice and rule of law. Rest in peace, my dear old friend.â
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2 p.m.
European leaders are expressing sadness over the death of former U.N. chief Kofi Annan at age 80 and praising his graceful leadership.
President Emmanuel Macron says in a tweet Saturday that âwe will never forget his calm and resolute look, nor his strength in battles.â
British Prime Minister Theresa May in a tweet says Annan âmade a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into.â
âHe was a titan amongst world statesman who saw wrong and righted it,â says former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says on Twitter that Annanâs âwarmth should never be mistaken for weakness. ⊠The U.N. and the world have lost one of their giants.â
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1:50 p.m.
Former South African archbishop Desmond Tutu is mourning the death of fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan, saying âwe give great thanks to godâ for him.
The death of the former U.N. secretary-general at age 80 after a short illness was announced Saturday.
Tutu says the Ghanaian-born Annan ârepresented our continent and the world with enormous graciousness, integrity and distinction.â
Annan took over from Tutu as chair of The Elders, an elite group of former leaders founded by Nelson Mandela. Tutu calls it a âtremendous honorâ to be succeeded by Annan and calls his death an âunexpected and devastating loss.â
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1:40 p.m.
The U.N.âs top human rights official says former U.N. chief Kofi Annan was âa friend to thousands and a leader of millions.â
Zeid Raâad al-Hussein says that âin a world now filled with leaders who are anything but that, our loss, the worldâs loss, becomes even more painful.â
Annanâs death at age 80 was announced Saturday.
The Jordanian diplomat, whose four-year term ends Aug. 31, says in a statement he once told Annan how everyone was criticizing him and the former U.N. chief responded that âyouâre doing the right thing, let them grumble.â
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1:20 p.m.
The death of former U.N. secretary-general and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan at age 80 has shaken people in the West African nation of Ghana, where he was born.
The government and people of Ghana âare deeply saddened by the news of the death, in Berne, Switzerland, of one of our greatest compatriots,â President Nana Akufo-Addo says on Twitter.
Former President John Dramani Mahama says that âKofi Annan lived well and worked for global peace, security and sustainable development in very challenging times. A proud son of Ghana and Africa.â
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1:10 p.m.
The focus of some of Kofi Annanâs last statements was Zimbabwe, which the Nobel Peace Prize winner visited last month while urging a peaceful election.
While the vote was calm, Annan denounced the violence that erupted in the capital two days later as the military swept into the streets to disperse opposition protesters.
Opposition Nelson Chamisa is among those mourning Annanâs death at age 80. âDeeply saddened by the sudden passing of the iconic Kofi Annan whom I met a few days ago,â Chamisa says on Twitter. âA rare breed of diplomat; soft spoken but unshakeably firm.â
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12:55 p.m.
Shocked reactions are pouring in after the death of former U.N. secretary-general and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan at age 80 after a short illness.
âHe was a good friend whom I saw only weeks ago,â says former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
âA great man, a dear brother,â says the chair of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat.
âHe was warm, compassionate & intelligent, exuding dignity & grace,â says the new leader of Amnesty International, Kumi Naidoo.
âInternational leader, wise mentor, valuable adviser, good friend, role model,â says U.N. refugee chief Filippo Grandi. âWe at UNHCR â and millions of others around the world â will miss him very much.â
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12:40 p.m.
The Elders, an elite group of former leaders founded by Nelson Mandela, say they are âshocked and deeply saddenedâ by the death of their colleague and chair Kofi Annan at age 80 after a short illness.
In a statement, The Elders call the former U.N. secretary-general and Nobel Peace Prize winner âa voice of great authority and wisdom in public and private.â
 The organization says Annanâs most recent work was in visits to South Africa and Zimbabwe, where the country was preparing for a historic presidential election.
âHis quiet advice on how best to defuse impending crises was in constant demand from all corners of the globe, in particular from Africa,â says deputy chair Gro Harlem Brundtland.
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11:55 a.m.
Kofi Annan, one of the worldâs most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died. He was 80.
His foundation announced his death in a tweet on Saturday, saying that he died after a short unspecified illness.
Annan spent virtually his entire career as an administrator in the United Nations. He served two terms as secretary-general from Jan. 1, 1997 to Dec. 31, 2006, capped nearly mid-way when he and the U.N. were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.
During his tenure, Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body, one of its most turbulent periods since its founding in 1945.