Kofi Annan passed away from a “short illness” on Saturday, his family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announced in a statement. Annan, a former diplomat from Ghana, led the United Nations from 1997 to 2006, RT reports.

In 2001, Annan and the UN were co-recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize.

After his tenure as Secretary General, he served as the UN-Arab League special envoy for Syria in 2012, until he became frustrated with the lack of progress.