The first black African to hold the position of UN Secretary-General was

Analyze the question: It asks who was the first black African to become Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Key facts:

• The UN Secretaries-General so far, in order, were: Trygve Lie (Norway), Dag Hammarskjöld (Sweden), U Thant (Burma), Kurt Waldheim (Austria), Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (Peru), Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Egypt), Kofi Annan (Ghana), Ban Ki-moon (South Korea), and António Guterres (Portugal).
• Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt was the first African to hold the office (1992-1996). He was North African, an Arab, and not a black African.
• Kofi Annan of Ghana served from 1997 to 2006. He was the first black African Secretary-General. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.

Checking the other options:

• A. Salim Ahmed Salim was a Tanzanian diplomat. He was Secretary-General of the OAU (1989-2001), not of the UN.
• C. Emeka Anyaoku was a Nigerian diplomat. He was Commonwealth Secretary-General (1990-2000), not UN.
• D. Nelson Mandela was President of South Africa, never UN Secretary-General.

Answer: B. Kofi Annan.

Exam tip: Remember the organisation each person led:

• Annan = UN
• Salim = OAU
• Anyaoku = Commonwealth

Questions often swap these organisations to confuse you. Also watch the wording "black African": it separates Annan from Boutros-Ghali, who came before him.