Former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan has died. He passed on Saturday at the age of 80 after a brief illness in Switzerland.

According to his foundation and family, he died in a hospital in the city of Bern, in the early hours of Saturday with his wife, Nane and three children, Ama, Kojo and Nina by his side.

Annan’s foundation issued a statement on his Twitter account on Saturday which described him as a ‘global statesman and deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world’.

“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.”

The statement added that Annan, was a “son of Ghana and felt a special responsibility towards Africa”.

The Ghanaian-born Annan who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work with the UN, was the seventh Secretary General of the world body where he served for two terms between 1997 and 2006.

Born in Kumasi, Ghana, on  April 8, 1938, Annan joined the UN system in 1962 as an administrative officer with the World Health Organization in Geneva.

He later served with the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, the UN Emergency Force in Somalia, the UN High Commission for Refugees in Geneva and in several senior posts at its headquarters in New York.

Before becoming Secretary General, he was Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping and also served as Special Representative of the Secretary General to the former Yugoslavia between 1995 and 1996.

Annan’s tenure as UN scribe which began six years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, covered the 11 September 2001 attacks and subsequent US-led war against Iraq, one of the UN’s most turbulent periods since its founding in 1945.

His tenure at the UN was tarnished by a 2005 investigation of Annan and his son over the “oil-for-food” scandal, seen by some as retribution for his condemnation of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq as ‘illegal’.

An inquiry cleared Annan of any serious wrongdoing but found ethical and management lapses linked to his son’s ties with a Swiss company that won lucrative contracts in the oil-for-food scheme. Annan later admitted that the scandal had sorely tested his mettle not only as secretary general, but as a father.

Annan used his final speech as Secretary General in December 2006 to deliver a parting shot at the administration of George W. Bush, accusing the US of committing human rights abuses in the name of fighting terrorism.

“When power, especially military force, is used, the world will consider it legitimate only when convinced that it is being used for the right purpose – for broadly shared aims in accordance with broadly accepted norms,” he had said.

Eulogizing Annan, current UN Secretary General, António Guterres whom Annan appointed to lead its refugee agency, said: “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.”

Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair tweeted that he was shocked and distressed by Annan’s death.

“He was a good friend whom I saw only weeks ago. Kofi Annan was a great diplomat, a true statesman and a wonderful colleague who was widely respected and will be greatly missed. My deepest sympathy go to Nane and his family,” Blair said.

Theresa May, the current UK Prime Minister also tweeted: “Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family.”

“Kofi Annan dedicated his life to building a more just and peaceful world. His efforts in support of conflict resolution and human rights will be remembered. He looked for a peaceful path when others looked for war. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”

On their own part, Russian President, Vladimir Putin hailed Annan’s wisdom and courage while the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel described him as an exceptional statesman in the service of the global community.

Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty International’s Secretary General said the world had lost a great leader. He added: “Kofi’s dedication and drive for a more peaceful and just world, his lifelong championing of human rights, and the dignity and grace with which he led will be sorely missed in a world which needs these characteristics more than ever.”