By Harrison Arubu
United Nations – UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday lauded the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, for “creating a pathway to stability in the Horn of Africa’’.
“I have said often that winds of hope are blowing ever stronger across Africa.
“Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is one of the main reasons why,” Guterres said in a statement after Ahmed was announced winner of the prestigious 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
Chairperson of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Berit Reiss-Andersen, who made the announcement, said the award was in recognition of Ahmed’s efforts to “achieve peace and international cooperation”.
The prime minister’s efforts include a peace deal with neighbouring Eritrea in September, 2018, that ended 20 years of conflict between the two countries.
“His vision helped Ethiopia and Eritrea achieve a historic rapprochement, and I was honored to witness the signing of the peace agreement last year,” Guterres said.
The UN chief described the 2018 peace agreement as a “milestone” which “has opened up new opportunities for the region to enjoy security and stability’’.
He added that Ahmed’s leadership “has set a wonderful example for others in and beyond Africa looking to overcome resistance from the past and put people first’’.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has also congratulated the new Nobel laureate, the UN said in a statement.
The statement quoted Grandi, who heads the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), as saying that Ethiopia “has a long history of welcoming and hosting refugees from across the region’’.
“By allowing refugees to be better integrated into society, the country is not only upholding its international refugee law obligations, but is a model for other refugee hosting nations around the world,” he said.
A border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea degenerated into a war in 1998 that lasted for over two years with attendant loss of tens of thousands of lives.
After assuming office as President in April 2018, Ahmed started implementing several political reforms, including achieving good relations with Eritrea.
The prime minister, who is the 100th Nobel Peace Prize winner, will receive the award worth 900,000 dollars (N320 million) in Oslo in December, according to the BBC.
(NAN)
banker of the day - FREE banker tips from experts