Kofi Annan was a man of integrity - Angelina Jolie

The world has since Saturday been celebrating the memory of the late Kofi Annan, a Ghanaian-born former UN Secretary-General.

Mr. Annan died in his sleep at age 80 on Saturday, August 18, 2018 in Berne, Switzerland.

His death came as a shock to the world, especially when majority were not aware he was sick.

Superstars around the world took to different platforms to express hearty condolences to family of the late Annan.

Among them was American actress Angelina Jolie, who described Mr. Annan as a man of integrity.

In a statement by Jolie, who is also UNHCR Special Envoy, she is deeply saddened by the death and she will forever remember him.

“I’m deeply saddened by the passing of Kofi Annan, a true global statesman and man of integrity. Like many others, I will remember him for his kindness, his grace, and his calm strength of purpose. My thoughts are with his wife and family,” she said in the statement on UNHCR website.

Mr Annan served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006.

Kofi Annan met Angelina Jolie during one of the UN’s activities.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were once pictured with Mr. Annan at the 2006 World Economic Forum in Davos.

Indeed, Mr. Annan is a world phenomenal figure. He and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He is the founder and chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation, as well as chairman of The Elders, an international organisation founded by Nelson Mandela.

Born in Kumasi, Mr. Annan went on to study Economics at Macalester College, International Relations from the Graduate Institute of Geneva and Management at MIT.

He joined the UN in 1962, working for the World Health Organisation’s Geneva office. He went on to work in several capacities at the UN headquarters, including serving as the Under-Secretary-General for peacekeeping between March 1992 and December 1996.

He was appointed as the 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.