Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received his Nobel Peace Prize medal in a ceremony on Tuesday. He has been conferred the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 for the role he played in forging a peace accord with Eritrea, reported Reuters.
Abiy’s peacemaking efforts ended two decades of hostility with Ethiopia’s longtime foe Eritrea. In July 2018, the Ethiopian prime minister and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki formally announced the end of a 20-year-old stalemate between the two countries, one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts, following a historic meeting in Eritrea’s capital Asmara.
The two-year war that broke out between the neighbors in 1998 killed more than 80,000 people and forced hundreds of thousands to flee from their homes.
After just two months of becoming prime minister, Abiy announced that Ethiopia would fully accept the terms of a peace agreement with Eritrea.
“I accept this award on behalf of Ethiopians and Eritreans, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of peace,” Abiy said after he received the prestigious award in a formal ceremony at Oslo’s City Hall.
He said he accepted the award on behalf of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, whose goodwill, trust and commitment were vital in ending the two-decade deadlock between the countries.
The 43-year-old Abiy also spoke of the dangers facing his region. He said it was important that the region does not become a “battleground” as more Western powers expand their military operations and terrorist groups seek to establish their foothold in the region.
Despite the peace efforts, Abiy is facing criticism in his home country over his attempts to impose unity including forming a single national political party. In October, eighty six people were killed during protests against the treatment of a prominent activist, while 409 people were detained over the unrest.
