The 2019 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Ethiopian
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who made peace last year with bitter foe Eritrea.
He was awarded the prize for his efforts to "achieve
peace and international cooperation".
Mr Abiy's peace deal with Eritrea ended a 20-year military
stalemate following their 1998-2000 border war.
He was named as the winner of the 100th Nobel Peace Prize
in Oslo, where he will receive the award in December.
It is worth some nine million Swedish crowns (about
£730,000; $900,000). Following the announcement, Mr Abiy said he was
"humbled and thrilled".
"Thank you very much. It is a prize given to Africa,
given to Ethiopia and I can imagine how the rest of Africa's leaders will take
it positively to work on [the] peace-building process on our continent,"
he added in a phone call with the secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
After becoming prime minister in April 2018, Mr Abiy
introduced massive liberalising reforms to Ethiopia, shaking up what was a
tightly controlled nation.
He freed thousands of opposition activists from jail and
allowed exiled dissidents to return home. Under him, several women have also
been appointed to prominent positions.
Most importantly, he signed the peace deal with Eritrea.
Mr Abiy, 43, was honoured for his "decisive initiative
to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea", the Norwegian
Nobel Committee said.
"The prize is also meant to recognise all the
stakeholders working for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia and in the East
and Northeast African regions," they said. bbc
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