Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed has been named the winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
He was awarded the Nobel for his efforts to “achieve peace and international cooperation” within the East African sub-region.
Ahmed was named as the winner of the 100th Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Friday.
The prize, worth $900,000 will be awarded to him in Oslo in December.
Ahmed’s Ethiopia reached a peace deal with Eritrea in 2018. That ended a 20-year military stalemate after years of border war between 1998-2000.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister emerged winner out of a total of 301 candidates that were nominated for the prestigious award.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee said Ahmed “has been awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.”
“The 2019 Nobel Peace Prize is also meant to recognise all the stakeholders working for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia and in the East and Northeast African regions,” it added.
Watch the very moment the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize is announced.
Presented by Berit Reiss-Andersen, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.#NobelPrize #NobelPeacePrize pic.twitter.com/EIATBAMVp7
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 11, 2019
The man Abiy Ahmed
Ahmed became prime minister in April 2018 after the then leader, Hailemariam Desalegn resigned in a surprising manner.
Shortly after taking over he introduced reforms to liberalize Ethiopia and build peaceful coexistence despite challenges.
Thousands of opposition activists or political prisoners were released allowing exiled dissidents to return home.
He also helped reach a peace deal with his neighbour Eritrea, bringing a two-decade long conflict to an end.
Learn more about the 2019 #NobelPeacePrizehttps://t.co/zwLcXQBiga#NobelPrize
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 11, 2019
Economic ties were also resumed between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee said “In close cooperation with Isaias Afwerki, the President of Eritrea, this year’s Peace Laureate Abiy Ahmed quickly worked out the principles of a peace agreement to end the long “no peace, no war” stalemate between Ethiopia and Eritrea.”
Ahmed has also been instrumental in restoring peace to countries like Sudan where he helped in peaceful resolution to their political crisis.
Source: Africafeeds.com
