Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed awarded Nobel Peace Prize

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Friday was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to resolve his country’s decades-old border conflict with Eritrea.

Reuters reported that Abiy, 43, was awarded the prize after his government returned to talks with Eritrea’s government a year ago, following years of tensions between the two nations brought on by a border conflict fought between 1998-2000.

{mosads}“Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali has been awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea,” the Nobel committee said in a statement.

“The prize is also meant to recognize all the stakeholders working for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia and in the East and Northeast African regions,” the committee added, according to Reuters.

Abiy is the youngest ruler in Africa and has reportedly introduced a series of wide-ranging reforms since taking office last April. He was quoted by Reuters as saying that the prize was a “victory” for all Ethiopians.

“This victory and recognition is a collective win for all Ethiopians, and a call to strengthen our resolve in making Ethiopia — the new horizon of hope — a prosperous nation for all,” his office said, adding that Ethiopia was “proud as a nation.”

President Trump, in the past, has mocked the Nobel Peace Prize, citing specifically it being awarded to former President Obama during his first months in office.

“I think I’m gonna get a Nobel prize for a lot of things, if they gave it out fairly, which they don’t,” Trump said last month.