It is with sadness, respect and deepest gratitude that Auschwitz survivors throughout the world bid farewell to Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, who died today. During the many encounters with Kofi Annan and his wife Nane, who originates from the family of Raoul Wallenberg, they experienced sincere empathy, inspiration, recognition and gratitude for their international involvement as surviving contemporary witnesses.
Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice-President of the International Auschwitz Committee paid tribute to Kofi Annan, and said:
"Despite his modesty, and despite the many obstacles and disappointments that he had to face up to as Secretary-General of the United Nations, in meetings with Kofi Annan you could always sense that he was inspired by a profound longing for a peaceful world and by a love for all of his fellow men, no matter what the colour of their skin, their ethnicity or their religion. His presence and his attitude brought light into many realms of darkness over the past decades. He was A Righteous Among the Nations who we will greatly miss in an age that is becoming increasingly absurd with a growing propensity to violence."