Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Former UN Secretary General, Dies At 93
International statesman and former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali died aged 93 on Tuesday at Al Salam Hospital in Cairo.
After an illustrious law career in Egypt and witnessing the historic 1978 Camp David Conference between his country and erstwhile enemy, Israel.
His successful diplomatic stint in negotiating the Egyptian-Israeli peace deal catapulted him to the global diplomatic scene which led to his election as the United Nation's Secretary-General from 1992 to 1996.
Shortly after the announcement of his death, the 15-member Security Council observed a minute's silence to honor the elderly statesman.
"He showed courage in posing difficult questions to the member states and rightly insisted on the independence of his office and of the secretariat as a whole," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said as quoted by Arabian Business.
The Holy See also sent a telegram expressing Pope Francis' heartfelt condolences to the Egyptian diplomat who was also a Coptic Christian in Muslim majority country.
"Recalling Mr. Boutros-Ghali's generous service to his country and to the international community, His Holiness offers the assurance of his prayers for the late Secretary-General's eternal rest, and he invokes the divine blessings of peace and strength upon the members of his family and all who mourn his loss," the Vatican telegram reads as quoted by Radio Vaticana.
Boutros-Ghali lead the post-Cold War United Nations from 1992-1996, an uncertain and tumultuous time when many former communist countries of Eastern Europe fell into chaotic and bloody disarray after the demise of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. He also struggled to contain the humanitarian crises in Somalia and Rwanda as a result of genocidal civil wars in those countries. His constant disputes with Washington under the Clinton administration resulted to his losing UN's top job to a fellow African, Kofi Annan.
"Boutros-Ghali found himself facing criticism from many quarters and was often at odds with the U.S. The Clinton administration blocked him from a second term," Michele Kelemen reported for NPR's Newscast Unit.
