(MENAFN- Daily Outlook Afghanistan) ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopian PrimeMinister Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 in recognition of hisefforts to end his country's two-decade border conflict with Eritrea.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute on Friday alsopraised the 'important reforms that Abiy, Ethiopia's leader since April 2018,has launched at home. The prize comes as Abiy faces pressure to uphold thesweeping freedoms he introduced, and critics warn that his ability to deal withrising domestic unrest may be slipping.
The Nobel committee said some people mayconsider it too early to give him the prize, but 'it is now that Abiy Ahmed'sefforts need recognition and deserve encouragement.
The award, the 100th Nobel Peace Prize,reflects the committee's taste for trying to encourage works in progress.
Abiy said he was 'humbled and thrilled.
In a call with the Nobel committee, he laid outhis hope that the award will be taken 'positively by other African leaders 'towork on (the) peacebuilding process on our continent.
Abiy, 43, took office after widespread protestspressured the longtime ruling coalition and hurt one of the world's fastestgrowing economies. Africa's youngest leader quickly announced dramatic reformsand 'Abiymania began.
On taking office, Abiy surprised people byfully accepting a peace deal ending a 20-year border war between the two EastAfrican nations that saw tens of thousands of people killed. Ethiopia andEritrea had not had diplomatic ties since the war began in 1998, with Abiyhimself once fighting in a town that remained contested at the time of hisannouncement last year.
Within weeks, the visibly moved Eritreanpresident, Isaias Afwerki, visited Addis Ababa and communications and transportlinks were restored. For the first time in two decades, long-divided familiesmade tearful reunions.
The improving relations led to the lifting ofUnited Nations sanctions on Eritrea, one of the world's most reclusive nations.But Ethiopia's reforms do not appear to have inspired any in Eritrea, which hassince closed border posts with its neighbor.
The Nobel committee also pointed to Abiy'sother efforts toward reconciliation in the region — between Eritrea andDjibouti, between Kenya and Somalia, and in Sudan.
Ethiopia is Africa's second-largest country interms of population with about 110 million people.
Eritrea, which has a population of about 4million, gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year guerrillawar. About 80,000 people died in a war between the two countries from1998-2000.
The Nobel committee acknowledged that 'peacedoes not arise from the actions of one party alone.
It said that when Abiy 'reached out his hand,President Afwerki grasped it, and helped to formalize the peace process betweenthe two countries.
It added that it 'hopes the peace agreementwill help to bring about positive change for the entire populations of Ethiopiaand Eritrea.
The government of Eritrea, still one of theworld's most closed-off nations, did not immediately comment but its ambassadorto Japan tweeted congratulations, adding: 'People of #Eritrea & amp;#Ethiopia with blood, sweat & amp; tears have won again over evil.
Leaders elsewhere in Africa, including those ofLiberia, Ghana and neighboring Somalia, responded with praise andencouragement. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he has often statedthat 'winds of hope are blowing ever stronger across Africa and that Abiy wasone of the main reasons why.
The U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia joined in thecongratulations, noting the 'incredible progress made under Abiy.
At home, Abiy offered one political surpriseafter another. He released tens of thousands of prisoners, welcomed homeonce-banned opposition groups and acknowledged past abuses. People expressedthemselves freely on social media, and he announced that Ethiopia would holdfree and fair elections in 2020. The country has one of the world's few'gender-balanced Cabinets and a female president, a rarity in Africa.
And for the first time Ethiopia had nojournalists in prison, media groups noted last year.
The new prime minister also announced theopening-up of Ethiopia's tightly controlled economy, saying private investmentwould be welcome in major state-owned sectors — a process that continuesslowly.
But while Abiy became a global darling,speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, troubles arose athome.
A grenade was thrown at him during anappearance in the capital. A large group of soldiers confronted him in hisoffice in what he called an attempt to derail his reforms. In a display of thebrio that has won Abiy widespread admiration, the former military officerdefused the situation by dropping to the floor and joining the troops inpushups.
More troubling these days are Ethiopia's risingethnic tensions, as people once stifled by repression now act on long-heldgrievances. Some 1,200 people have been killed and some 1.2 million displacedin the greatest challenge yet to Abiy's rule. Some observers warn that theunrest will grow ahead of next year's election.
The Nobel committee acknowledged that 'manychallenges remain unresolved.
Amnesty International secretary Kumi Naidoosaid the award should 'push and motivate (Abiy) to tackle the outstanding humanrights challenges that threaten to reverse the gains made so far.
'He must urgently ensure that his governmentaddresses the ongoing ethnic tensions that threaten instability and furtherhuman rights abuses, Naidoo said.
Abiy had been among the favorites for thisyear's prize in the run-up to Friday's announcement, though winners arenotoriously hard to predict. The Nobel committee doesn't reveal the names ofcandidates or nominations for 50 years.
The committee has in the past used itsprestigious award to nudge a peace process forward and Friday's recognition ofAbiy falls into that line of thinking.
'The committee want to be actors. They want tomake decisive interventions because the world listens to their opinion, Nobelhistorian Oeivind Stenersen said. 'There have been laureates such as (JoseRamos) Horta in East Timor who have said that the prize was crucial in theprocess. The committee will hope to emulate that.
Since 1901, 99 Nobel Peace Prizes have beenhanded out, to individuals and 24 organizations. While the other prizes areannounced in Stockholm, the peace prize is awarded in the Norwegian capital,Oslo.
So far this week, 11 Nobel laureates have beennamed. The others received their awards for their achievements in medicine ,physics , chemistry and literature . There were two literature laureates,Poland's Olga Tokarczuk and Austria's Peter Handke, after no prize was awardedlast year due to sex abuse allegations that rocked the Swedish Academy.
With the glory comes a 9-million kronor ($918,000)cash award, a gold medal and a diploma. Even though the peace prize is awardedin Norway, the amount is denominated in Swedish kronor. (AP News)
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