Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary general who received the Nobel Peace Prize, died yesterday.
Annan started his career back in 1962 in the World Health Organization. He was the director of tourism in Ghana in the period from 1972 to 1974. He held some of the most important positions in the United Nations since 1987, including the Assistant Secretary General. He was in charge of peace operations in the 1990’s, and he was a UN Special Envoy for the former Yugoslavia from October 1995.
Back then, Annan had great support of the US administration of Bill Clinton, which was dissatisfied with the former UN secretary-general,Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and his insisting on the procedure for US military intervention in the former Yugoslavia. With the US diplomatic pressure, the UN Security Council appointed Annan for the Secretary General on December 13, 1996. His mandate was restored in 2002. He stayed at that position until January 1, 2007.
We recall that he apologized for the mistakes the international community committed during the war in BiH, and he noted that the genocide that was committed in Srebrenica will pursue him forever.
“The tragedy that happened in Srebrenica will persecute our history forever, and the conflict in BiH was one of the most difficult and the most painful ones in the history of the United Nations. Nobody regrets more about the missed opportunities for peace and justice to stop suffering and end the war that caused so many victims,” said Annan on October 12, 1999.
Annan stated then that he is optimistic about the progress of our country.
“We see the reconstruction of civil society, reconstruction of the economy and the hope for a better future for all the people of BiH,” he stated.
Kofi Annan came to our country that year to welcome six millionth resident of our planet, and that was Adnan Mevic from Visoko.
(Source: Radiosarajevo.ba)
