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Former UN chief Kofi Annan dies at age 80

A statement on his Twitter page said that his wife Nane and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina were by his side during his last days

TASS, August 18. The seventh Secretary General of the UN Kofi Annan has died at the age of 80, the politician’s family informed on Saturday in a statement on his Twitter page.

"It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness. His wife Nane and their children Ama, Kojo and Nina were by his side during his last days," the statement says.

Kofi Annan (full name Kofi Atta Annan) was born on April 8, 1938 in the Kofandros section of Kumasi in the Gold Coast (now Ghana).

He served as UN Secretary General for two consecutive terms, from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2006. In this time, he has carried out a program of reforms aimed at reducing administrative spending of the organization. He has served as mediator in several difficult political situations: in 1998, he attempted to ensure that Iraq followed the resolutions of the UN Security Council, which required it to provide access to the country for international inspection teams. He also supported the transition to civilian rule in Nigeria after the rule of several military governments (1984-1998). In 1999, he facilitated the signing of agreements between Libya and the UN Security Council in relation to the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, as well as the regulation of the crisis in East Timor.

In 2001, Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (along with the UN) for his contribution to forming a more effective organization and facilitating lasting peace throughout the world.