Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (C) attends a military funeral for former U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali who died at a hospital on Tuesday, in Cairo, Egypt February 18, 2016, in this handout courtesy of the Egyptian Presidency (Reuters)
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi attended the military funeral on Thursday of former UN Secretary-General Boutros Ghali who died Tuesday in Cairo at the age 93.
Following the miliary funeral, which was held at El-Moshir Tantawy Mosque complex in New Cairo, the coffin of the late UN Secretary-General was transferred to the Boutrosiya church in central Cairo.
An Orthodox funeral mass was held and headed by Pope Tawdros II, the head of Egypt's the Coptic Orthodox Church.
The funeral mass for the late Ghali was attended by members of his family as well prominent Egyptian and foreign figures.
Former Egyptian foreign affairs minister Amr Moussa, UNSECO director-general Irina Bokova, and La Francophone secretary-general Michaëlle Jean spoke in the mass paying their respects to the late Egyptian diplomat.
In New York, the UN General assembly held a special tribute for its 6th secretary-general Boutros Ghali - 1992 - 1996.
Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, Defence Minister Sedqi Sobhi, and current and former Egyptians diplomats also bid farewell to Ghali.
He was the United Nations' first secretary-general from an African and the only Arab to ever hold the post.
He served as minister of state for foreign affairs from 1977 until 1991 under then president Anwar Sadat (1977-1981) and now-ousted presidnt Hosni Mubarak (1981-1991
Ghali hailed from a family with a long diplomatic history. His grandfather, the late Boutrous Ghali, occupied the positions of Egyptian finance minister, foreign affairs minister and finally prime minister in 1908 until his assassination in 1910.
He was also a member of parliament in 1987 and a member of the secretariat of the National Democratic Party from 1980.
From 2003 to 2012, Ghali served as the director of the semi-governmental Egyptian National Council for Human Rights.
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