Oslo: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was on Friday awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to resolve his country's border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea, the Nobel Committee said.
He is the first Muslim leader of the Christian dominated nation to receive the honour for achieving international cooperation and also established a peace agreement which brought an end to the long stalemate between the two countries within months of coming to office in 2018.
This week 12 Nobel laureates have received the award among which 11 were men.
Why Abiy Ahmed was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
A total of 301 candidates had been nominated for the prestigious award, including 223 individuals and 78 organisations.
There had been great speculation over who would win the prize, with climate activist Greta Thunberg widely tipped as the favourite.
After becoming prime minister in April 2018, Abiy introduced massive liberalising reforms to Ethiopia, shaking up what was an extremely tightly controlled nation.
He freed thousands of opposition activists from jail and allowed exiled dissidents to return home.
Most importantly, he signed a peace deal with Ethiopia's neighbour Eritrea last year, ending a 20-year military stalemate following their 1998-2000 border war.
What Nobel Committee said
The Norwegian Nobel Committee said in a statement that Mr Abiy was awarded for his 'decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea'.
"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."
"Peace does not arise from the actions of one party alone. When Prime Minister Abiy reached out his hand, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki grasped it and helped to formalise the peace process between the two countries.
"The peace agreement will help to bring about positive change for the entire populations of Ethiopia and Eritrea."
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