My war horror drove my fight for peace, says Nobel winner
THE winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize says his horrifying experiences as a young Ethiopian soldier fuelled his determination to seek an end to the long conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spoke during the ceremony in Oslo, where he received his prize yesterday.
“War is the epitome of hell for all involved. I know because I was there and back,” said Abiy, who served in the army during the war.
He won the prize, in part, for making peace with Eritrea after one of Africa’s longestrunning conflicts.
“Twenty years ago, I was a radio operator attached to an Ethiopian army unit in the border town of Badame,” he said. “I briefly left the foxhole in the hopes of getting a good antenna reception. It only took but a few minutes. Yet upon my return I was horrified to discover that my entire unit had been wiped out in an artillery attack.”
Abiy (43) took office in early 2018 and within weeks astonished the turbulent Horn of Africa region by fully accepting a peace deal ending the 20-year border conflict with Eritrea which saw around 80,000 people killed.
In his speech, he said stability in the region was strategically important.
“The global military superpowers are expanding their military presence in the area,” he said. “Terrorist and extremist groups also seek to establish a foothold. We do not want the Horn to be a battleground for superpowers nor a hideout for the merchants of terror and brokers of despair and misery.”
The peace prize also recognises Abiy’s significant domestic reforms, including the release of tens of thousands of prisoners and the return of once-banned opposition groups.