The prime minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize Friday. The Nobel committee applauded Ahmed's "efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation," as well as his "decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea."
Ahmed became prime minister in April of 2018, and in just a few months "oversaw the release of the country's political prisoners, condemning their torture and also freeing jailed journalists," Sky News reports. He's also facilitated talks with the country's political opponents and showed compassion toward exiles, inviting them back. Sky also reports that half of Ahmed's Cabinet is filled with women, a "progressive" move. But his most monumental accomplishment was to help secure a peace agreement with Eritrea, a country with which Ethiopia engaged in a border war from 1998 to 2000. A peace deal was signed last year.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Dark chocolate macadamia cookies recipeThe Week Recommends These one-bowl cookies will melt in your mouth
-
Israel's plan to occupy GazaIn Depth Operation Gideon's Chariots will see Israel sending thousands of troops into Gaza later this month to seize control of the strip
-
Prince Harry's 'bombshell' BBC interviewTalking Point Royal claims he is not safe to visit the UK and fuels speculation over King Charles' health in 'extraordinary' BBC interview
-
Sea lion proves animals can keep a beatspeed read A sea lion named Ronan beat a group of college students in a rhythmic dance-off, says new study
-
Humans heal much slower than other mammalsSpeed Read Slower healing may have been an evolutionary trade-off when we shed fur for sweat glands
-
Novel 'bone collector' caterpillar wears its preySpeed Read Hawaiian scientists discover a carnivorous caterpillar that decorates its shell with the body parts of dead insects
-
Scientists find hint of alien life on distant worldSpeed Read NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has detected a possible signature of life on planet K2-18b
-
Katy Perry, Gayle King visit space on Bezos rocketSpeed Read Six well-known women went into lower orbit for 11 minutes
-
Scientists map miles of wiring in mouse brainSpeed Read Researchers have created the 'largest and most detailed wiring diagram of a mammalian brain to date,' said Nature
-
Scientists genetically revive extinct 'dire wolves'Speed Read A 'de-extinction' company has revived the species made popular by HBO's 'Game of Thrones'
-
Dark energy may not doom the universe, data suggestsSpeed Read The dark energy pushing the universe apart appears to be weakening
