It is still big news in Ethiopia following the designation of the country’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, as 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner on Friday, 11th October, 2019.
The Ethiopian PM got the honours as recognition for his contribution to peace in the two-decade border conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
He is the 100th winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, the first Ethiopian to be honoured and 12th African to receive the award.
2019 Peace Laureate Abiy Ahmed Ali is the first Ethiopian to be awarded a #NobelPrize. This year’s prize is also the 100th #NobelPeacePrize. @PMEthiopia#NobelFacts
Abiy Ahmed: Personal profile
Abiy Ahmed Ali was born on 15th August 1976 in Beshasha, Ethiopia.
He was raised by a Muslim father and a Christian mother.
His upbringing helped him cultivate the virtue of tolerance.
He became Ethiopia’s fourth Prime Minister in April 2018 after the resignation of Hailemariam Desalegn.
Abiy Ahmed is holder of an MA in Transformational Leadership. He also has an MBA and a PhD from the Institute for Peace and Security Studies of Addis Ababa University.
He is married to Lady Zinash Tayachew and is a father of three daughters and a recently adopted son.
Abiy Ahmed’s Peace Efforts in Ethiopia
Few months after his swearing in, he lifted the state of emergency imposed because of the border crisis with Eritrea and ordered the release of thousands of prisoners.
He also allowed exiled opposition leaders to return to Ethiopia and unblocked hundreds of websites and TV channels.
The war with Eritrea ended after he agreed to give up the disputed territory and in the process, normalised relations with the latter.
About the Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five prizes established by the Swedish industrialist and armaments manufacturer, Alfred Nobel.
Other prizes he established include the Nobel prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiology / Medicine and Literature.
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to those who excel in the domain of fraternity and peace between nations.