Share

Kofi Annan to receive state burial in Ghana on September 13: Ghanaian president

Former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan will receive a state funeral and burial in Ghana on September 13, the Ghanaian president said on Friday, calling it "a major event for our country".

The announcement was made by President Nana Akufo-Addo following a meeting with Annan's family in Accra.

Annan, a Ghanaian national and Nobel peace laureate, died on Saturday at the age of 80 after a short illness.

"Kofi Annan was one of the most illustrious people of this generation. He was like an elderly brother," Akufo-Addo said.

"It's going to be a major event for our country... I expect many leaders to be present," he said, adding that he would be buried in Accra's new military cemetery.

Born in Kumasi, the capital city of Ghana's Ashanti region, Annan devoted four decades of his working life to the UN and was the first chief from sub-Saharan Africa.

Following his death in Switzerland, where he lived not far from the UN European headquarters in Geneva, Akufo-Addo announced a week of mourning for "one of our greatest compatriots".

* Sign up to News24's top Africa news in your inbox: SUBSCRIBE TO THE HELLO AFRICA NEWSLETTER

FOLLOW News24 Africa on Twitter and Facebook.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 924 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 450 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.82
+1.0%
Rand - Pound
23.49
+1.3%
Rand - Euro
20.12
+1.4%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.29
+0.9%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+2.3%
Platinum
922.60
-0.3%
Palladium
962.50
-2.8%
Gold
2,337.44
+0.2%
Silver
27.27
-0.6%
Brent Crude
89.01
+1.1%
Top 40
69,358
+1.3%
All Share
75,371
+1.4%
Resource 10
62,363
+0.4%
Industrial 25
103,903
+1.3%
Financial 15
16,161
+2.3%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE