Swiss Cornelio Sommaruga, who led the International Committee of the Red Cross for nearly 13 years, died at the age of 91, his son announced to Swiss media on Monday.
The ICRC said it was
“deeply saddened”
by this news, describing the man who was its president from 1987 to 1999 as a tireless defender of victims of armed conflicts.
He died during the night from Saturday to Sunday, said his son, Swiss politician Carlo Sommaruga.
Born in Rome in 1932, into a family from the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, he held a doctorate in law from the University of Zurich.
Before joining the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1986, Cornelio Sommaruga held various positions in Swiss diplomacy and was notably deputy secretary general of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
A difficult mandate at the head of the ICRC
During his tenure as head of the ICRC, the world underwent major historical upheaval at the end of the Cold War.
Under his leadership, the International Committee of the Red Cross faced the war in former Yugoslavia, the First Chechen War and the genocide in Rwanda.
He later reportedly recounted that the December 1996 killing of six ICRC expatriates while they were sleeping in Chechnya, in the Russian Caucasus, was the most difficult challenge he faced during his tenure.
Following these killings, the Committee strengthened its humanitarian diplomacy with all conflict actors, governments but also non-governmental armed groups.
“Cornelio Sommaruga tirelessly carried the voice of those affected by armed conflicts. He was able to mobilize the international community, forcefully, to better protect them through international humanitarian law, for example by committing to the ban on anti-personnel mines, which led to the Ottawa Treaty,”
wrote the ICRC. in a press release.
“A fervent defender of the fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence, he has inspired many humanitarian vocations through his commitment, his charisma and his integrity
,” he added.
After leaving the ICRC, Mr. Sommaruga carried out, among other things, several missions for the United Nations and chaired the International Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) in Geneva.