Nobel Peace Prize: Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Wins Award For Helping To End Conflict In Eritrea

Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed has won the Nobel peace prize for 2019 for his efforts to achieve international peace, specially helping end conflict in neighbouring Eritrea. The Norwegian Nobel committee has decided to award to Abiy Ahmed for his 'efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation and for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea'.

BREAKING NEWS:
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.#NobelPrize #NobelPeacePrize pic.twitter.com/uGRpZJHk1B

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 11, 2019

The statement from the Norwegian Nobel committee read, "When Abiy Ahmed became prime minster in April 2018, he made it clear he wishes to resume pace talks with Eritrea .. in close cooperation with the president of Eritrea, Abiy Ahmed quickly worked out the principles for a peace agreement to end the long no peace stalemate between the two countries. An important premise for the breakthrough was Ahmed’s willingness to accept the arbitration ruling of an international boundary commission in 2002."

"In Ethiopia, even if much work remains, Abiy Ahmed has initiated important reforms that give many citizens hope for a better life and a brighter future. He spent his first 100 days as Prime Minister lifting the country’s state of emergency, granting amnesty to thousands of political prisoners, discontinuing media censorship, legalising outlawed opposition groups, dismissing military and civilian leaders who were suspected of corruption, and significantly increasing the influence of women in Ethiopian political and community life. He has also pledged to strengthen democracy by holding free and fair elections," it added.

The Norwegian Nobel committee expressed hope that the Nobel Peace Prize will strengthen Prime Minister Abiy in his important work for peace and reconciliation. Ethiopia is Africa’s second most populous country and has East Africa’s largest economy. A peaceful, stable and successful Ethiopia will have many positive side-effects, and will help to strengthen fraternity among nations and peoples in the region. With the provisions of Alfred Nobel’s will firmly in mind, the Norwegian Nobel committee sees Abiy Ahmed as the person who in the preceding year has done the most to deserve the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019."