Kofi Annan, a Ghanaian by birth, was the first black UN Secretary General.
Ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas has paid tribute to Kofi Annan, who died Saturday morning aged 80.
Kofi Annan, a Ghanaian by birth, was the first black UN Secretary General.
Anas tweeted Saturday that he was "deeply saddened by the death of Kofi Annan."
READ MORE: 10 things you didn't know about Kofi Annan
"He's always been a constant inspiration for us to go further and reach higher. Rest in peace, General," he added.
The Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation confirmed his death with "immense sadness" in a statement posted on Twitter.
"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 opening paragraph of the statement read.
Annan was the 7th Secretary-General of the UN and is the founder and chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation.
In 2001, he and the United Nations were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. Kofi Annan was praised for being “pre-eminent in bringing new life to the organization.” (Norwegian Nobel Committee, October 2001).
He was born in Kumasi, Ashanti Region on April 8, 1938.
READ MORE: 10 things you didn't know about Kofi Annan
He once described himself as being "atribal in a tribal world.