Martti Ahtisaari, former Finnish president and key figure in Northern Ireland peace process, dies aged 86

Martti Ahtisaari, the former president of Finland and a key figure in the Northern Ireland peace process, has died aged 86.

Mr Ahtisaari, who won a Noble Peace Prize in 2008 for his work resolving international conflicts, died on Monday, the Finnish president’s office said. He had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Before winning the presidency as the leader of the Social Democrat Party, Mr Ahtisaari worked as a teacher and then a diplomat. He served as Finland’s ambassador to Tanzania and as UN commissioner for Namibia between 1977 and 1981.

He served as the 10th president of Finland for one term between 1994 and 2000 at a time when the country was becoming increasingly integrated into Europe following the end of the Cold War.

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Mr Ahtisaari oversaw Finland becoming a member of the EU in 1995 and towards the end of his term acted as the union’s point man on the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo.

After the presidency, he developed a reputation as an effective mediator in international conflicts.

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After turning down several roles, including with the United Nations Refugee Agency, he opened the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), an independent organisation based in Helinsinki which focused on conflict resolution.

Following the Belfast Agreement he took up a role as a weapons inspector in Northern Ireland, where he was responsible for confirming the decommissioning of paramilitary arms.

Between 2000 and 2001, Mr Ahtisaari, along with South African politician Cyril Ramaphosa, inspected Provisional IRA weapons dumps for the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning.

“It is with great sadness that we have received the news of the death of President Martti Ahtisaari,” Finland’s president Sauli Niinistö said in a statement. “He was president in times of change, who piloted Finland into a global EU era.”

He said Mr Ahtisaari “had a great heart, and he believed in the human being”.

“In his speech at the Nobel celebration, Ahtisaari said that all conflicts can be resolved: ‘Wars and conflicts are not inevitable. They are caused by humans.’

“There are always interests that war promotes. Therefore, those who have power and influence can also stop them.”

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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described Mr Ahtisaari as “a statesman and peacemaker of distinction” who was involved in “the essential work of the decommissioning of IRA weapons”.

“Martti leaves a positive legacy that spans continents. He was deservedly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008 for his efforts, over three decades, to resolve international conflicts including in Namibia, Indonesia, and Kosovo,” he said in a statement.

“I extend my condolences to his family and friends in Finland and beyond, and all who worked with him.”

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said: “Finland has lost a remarkable statesman. Europe, a visionary. And the world, a champion of peace.”

Mr Ahtisaari is survived by his wife, Eeva, and their son, Marko.