Kofi Annan, the secretary-general of the United Nations, visited the New York gathering and sent a letter to Porto Alegre.

ECONOMIST: Bigger, yes. But any more influential?

The former secretary-general of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, has met an MDC representative and may be willing to mediate as he did in Kenya.

ECONOMIST: Worsening repression inside Zimbabwe

Ghana was fortunate to have one of its sons, Kofi Annan, serve as the United Nations Secretary-General (1997-2006) and co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

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