The world mourns Boutros-Ghali

As the world mourns the death of former UN secretary general Boutros Boutros-Ghali, messages of condolences continue to be relayed.

The veteran Egyptian diplomat, died at the age of 93 on Tuesday at an Egyptian hospital.

Boutros-Ghali served as UN chief from 1992 to 1996 in a term marred by Rwanda’s massacre, Angola’s civil war and war in the former Yugoslavia.

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon hailed his predecessor at the headquarters in New York.

“He was a well-known scholar of international law, and brought formidable experience and intellectual power to the task of piloting the United Nations through one of the most tumultuous and challenging periods in its history.”

“I extend my deepest condolences to Mrs. Boutros-Ghali, as well as to the rest of the family, to the Egyptian people, and to the late Secretary-General’s many friends and admirers around the world,’‘ he added.

Meanwhile, in his hometown, newspaper headlines announced his passing. The papers written in Arabic read ‘We have lost Boutros-Ghali’ and another ‘Al Sisi mourns Boutros-Ghali’.

“He was Egypt’s representative in the United Nations. He had a good history and was cultured. What can I say, he came from a good family,” said Yehia Abdelghany, an Egyptian man.

Boutros-Ghali served as Egypt’s foreign minister under leader Anwar el-Sadat in the 70s.

He later served as secretary-general of an organization of French-speaking nations, and as a director of the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights.