Angela Merkel said Annan inspired her with his ideas, firm convictions and charisma, while former US President Barack Obama spoke of Annan's wisdom and courage. Flags are set to fly at half-mast in Annan's native Ghana.
Kofi Annan and Angela Merkel in 2006Image: picture-alliance/Pressefoto Ulmer/B. Hake
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Leaders across the world expressed their condolences following the death of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who passed away on Saturday morning in Bern, Switzerland, at the age of 80. World leaders praised Annan's contributions and expressed their admiration for the longtime UN statesman.
Antonio Guterres, the current UN chief, described his predecessor as "a guiding force for good."
"In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations…He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination," Guterres said.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the UN and the world had "lost one of their giants."
"His warmth should never be mistaken for weakness. Annan showed that one can be a great humanitarian and a strong leader at the same time," Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement that she was "very sad" about Annan's passing, adding that the Nobel laureate was a "distinguished statesman" who had served the world community.
"Kofi Annan inspired me and many others with his ideas, his firm convictions and, not least, his charisma," Merkel said. She emphasized that Annan shaped the UN "like hardly anyone before him," adding that "he knew how to spark enthusiasm, particularly among young people."
French President Emmanuel Macron paid homage to Annan on behalf of France. "We will never forget his calm and resolute approach, nor the strength of his fighting spirit," Macron wrote on his Twitter account.
Former US President Barack Obama memorialized Annan's contributions in a heartfelt statement. "Heading the UN at a difficult time, he did a great deal to realize the purposes and the goals of the organization, strengthening its central role in world affairs," Obama said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lauded Annan's devoted service to the UN, contributions to peacekeeping efforts and conflict resolution. "I sincerely admired his wisdom and courage as well as his ability to make balanced decisions even under the most dire and critical circumstances," Putin said. "Russians will keep the memory of him forever."
The battles of Kofi Annan
The Ghanaian-born Kofi Annan climbed the ranks of the UN to become its first African leader and one of the most recognizable figures in global diplomacy. He was a fighter for peace, and the fight often got ugly.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/H. Zaourar
Rising star of the United Nations
Anan was born into a noted Ghanaian family in 1938 and studied in Switzerland and the US. He joined the United Nations when he was 24 years old. By 1993, he was appointed the chief of its peacekeeping operations. One of his first challenges was the crisis in Somalia, in which clashes between US forces backed by the UN and Somali militiamen claimed lives of 18 American soldiers.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/H. Zaourar
Defeats in Bosnia and Rwanda
The UN's peacekeeping forces failed to stop the mid-1990s genocides in Rwanda and Bosnia. The botched missions molded Annan, "creating a new understanding of the legitimacy, and necessity, of intervention in the face of gross violations of human rights," he wrote in his 2012 autobiography.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Joe
Backed by the US
By 1996 the US was set on removing then-UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who had repeatedly bumped heads with Washington. Annan, on the other hand, while momentarily standing in for an unreachable Boutros-Ghali, allowed a US-led intervention in Bosnia to begin. The US eventually vetoed Boutros-Ghali's bid for a second term, opening the way for Annan to claim the post in 1997.
Image: Reuters/R. Wilking
Nobel Peace Prize winner
In 2001, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee awarded the honor to the UN and its leader Kofi Annan, praising Annan for revitalizing UN and fighting for human rights. "I do not stand here alone," Annan said in his acceptance speech. He thanked the committee on behalf of his UN colleagues "who have devoted their lives — and in many instances risked or given their lives in the cause of peace."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/H. Junge
A row with Washington
The US invaded Iraq in 2003, bypassing the UN Security Council and angering many of its closes allies. Annan openly opposed the invasion and slammed it as "illegal." The remarks sparked anger among his former backers in Washington.
Image: picture-alliance/ dpa/Y. Logghe
Under investigation
Annan found himself mired in a corruption scandal over the Iraq Oil-for-Food program in 2004, with his son Kojo receiving fees from a company involved in the deal. The UN secretary-general was eventually cleared of wrongdoing. Still, questions remained about Annan's role in securing the deal for his son. Some observers believed the scandal was orchestrated by US diplomats.
Image: Getty Images/A.Burton
Staying in the fight after leaving the UN
Annan completed his two five-year terms by 2006 and was succeeded by Ban Ki-moon. Still, the Ghanaian-born diplomat continued to be active on the world stage. Alongside Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and other notable diplomats and activists, he founded The Elders, an NGO fighting for peace and human rights.
Image: Getty Images
A lost bid for peace in Syria
Annan once again took center stage as the UN's first envoy to Syria in 2012, during the initial fighting of what was to become a long-running and bloody civil war. However, he resigned some five months later, frustrated with the big powers' failure to honor their commitments. "I lost my troops on the way to Damascus," he said.
Image: Reuters/Sana
Last mission in Myanmar
In 2016, Annan traveled to Myanmar to lead an advisory commission on the conflict with the Rohingya, sparking hectic protests among the nation's Buddhist majority. Eventually, the commission issued a report urging the government to fight poverty among the Rohingya and ensure their rights. In October 2017, Annan called on the UN to pressure Myanmar into taking back the exiled Rohingya.
Kenyan opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga said he had "fond memories" of Annan, who brokered a power-sharing deal to calm tensions in Kenya, following postelection violence in 2007 that led to more than 1,000 deaths.
"I wish to express deep gratitude and appreciation of Dr. Annan for his dedicated and tireless work in stabilizing the world and encouraging Africa to aspire to higher ideals of democracy, respect for human rights and sound governance as the path to sustainable peace and economic development," Odinga said in a post on his Facebook page.
Ghana mourns one of its own
In Ghana, Annan's home country, President Nana Akufo-Addo declared a week of mourning and directed that the national flag be flown at half-mast at home and in the diplomatic missions around the world to honor of "one of our greatest compatriots."
"He brought considerable renown to our country by this position and through his conduct and comportment in the global arena. He was an ardent believer in the capacity of the Ghanaian to chart his or her own course onto the path of progress and prosperity," Akufo-Addo said.
Annan was born in Ghana's Ashanti heartland, two decades before the country became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence. He spent almost his entire career at the UN, where Africa played a major role in his work.
