Former US president Jimmy Carter has died aged 100, the Carter Center confirmed on Sunday.
“Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States and winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, died peacefully Sunday, Dec. 29, at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family,” the Carter Center said in a statement.
Carter served one term in the White House between 1977 and 1981.
After losing reelection to Ronald Reagan, Carter and his wife Rosalynn founded the Carter Center, which seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health.
In 2002, the former president was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development,” the citation states.
He turned 100 on October 1 and was the longest-lived president in US history.
In 2023, he stopped his medical treatment after several hospital stays and went into hospice care.
“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” said Chip Carter, the former president’s son.
“My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.”
Public services will be held in Atlanta and Washington, followed by a private interment in Plains, Georgia, the Center said.
Carter is survived by his children — Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy; 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
US President Joe Biden paid tribute to Carter, calling him a man of principle, faith, and humility.
“Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian,” Biden said in a statement.
“He showed that we are great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.”
Biden ordered an official state funeral be held in Washington for Carter.
Former president Barack Obama said Carter promised voters that he would always tell the truth.
“And he did – advocating for the public good, consequences be damned,” Obama said in a statement.
“He believed some things were more important than reelection – things like integrity, respect, and compassion,” Obama said.
“Whenever I had a chance to spend time with President Carter, it was clear that he didn’t just profess these values. He embodied them. And in doing so, he taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz honoured Carter’s achievements as a peacemaker and a fighter for democracy and human rights.
“We join our American friends in mourning the loss of their former President Jimmy Carter. The US has lost a committed fighter for democracy,” Scholz said in a post on social media platform X.
“The world has lost a great mediator for peace in the Middle East and for human rights.”
