Opinion
The Habari Networks’ 10 most influential people of 2012
8). Kofi Annan
Nationality: Ghanaian
Occupation: Diplomat, Former U.N. Secretary General
Ghana native Kofi Annan served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations – the first black man to head the international organization.
Because of his star power, integrity, experience and respectability, Annan was appointed as the U.N. special envoy for Syria to find a peaceful solution to the crisis. His primary goal was to stop the killings of civilians and human rights abuses, as well as to place Syria on a path toward political transition.
Annan quit after becoming frustrated with the U.N.’s lack of progress with regard to conflict resolution, stating that “when the Syrian people desperately need action, there continues to be finger-pointing and name-calling in the Security Council”, particularly because of the standoff between its five veto-wielding members: Russia and China on one side, the United States, Britain and France on the other.
