A tribute to Kofi Annan, from his family

The family of former United Nations Secretary General have published a tribute to the man hailed as a reformer at the global diplomacy outfit.

The piece authored by his son, Kojo, also acknowledged the outpouring of love and support from around the world.

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It was published on the website of the Kofi Annan Foundation and produced here below.

On 18 August, the world lost a leader and a statesman: Kofi Atta Annan.

And we lost a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather, and an uncle – a man of deep conviction who was as committed to instilling the values of fairness, integrity, kindness, and service in each of us, as he was to advocating for peace and human rights around the world.

He was as present with each of us and the family as a whole, as he was with every crisis, every mission, and every intervention.

No call, email, or text went unanswered.

No personal crises unaddressed.

No major family milestones or celebrations unattended, no matter what was happening in the world.

So while we shared him with the world, we were never poorer for it.

Today, buoyed and comforted by the outpouring of love and support we have received from around the world, we are richer for having shared him with you. Stubborn optimist that he was, he would want us all to look forward with hope, and keep striving to create a freer, fairer, more peaceful world.

Daddy, may you rest in perfect peace knowing the depth of our love for you and gratitude for the tremendous role you played in each of our lives.

Atta says, “Bye bye Grandpa, enjoy heaven!”

– Kojo, on behalf of the Annan family ### Photos: The Late Kofi Annan with his family

Key dates in the life of Kofi Attah Annan

1 – 1938: Born in Kumasi, Ghana’s second city, seat of the Ashanti kingdom
2 – 1962: Starts working at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland
3 – 1965: Weds Titi Alakija. They have two children, a boy and a girl
4 – 1984: Marries Nane Lagergren, having divorced a year earlier
5 – 1991: Twin sister Efua dies
6 – 1993: Becomes head of U.N. peacekeeping operations
7 – 1997: Appointed seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations
8 – 2001: Wins Nobel Peace Prize
9 – 2006: Steps down as secretary-general after 10 years
10 – 2012: Becomes UN/Arab League Joint Special Envoy on the Syrian crisis
11- 2013: Made chair of The Elders, a peace and human rights advocacy group
12 – 2016: Leads the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, Myanmar