The Hessian Peace Prize is awarded to Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed Ali. The prize honors Abiy Ahmed Ali's outstanding achievement for a historic peace declaration with the arch-enemy Eritrea.
A 20-year conflict that has cost the lives of thousands of people and has flared up again and again in recent years seems to be coming to a peaceful end.
A process of reconciliation between the two states offers opportunities for the societies of both states and the East African region.
These important developments and the resulting opportunities for a peaceful future are worthy of recognition. "Abiy Ahmed Ali is one of the great hopes on the African continent. We want to honor his commitment to peace with the Hessian Peace Prize and at the same time continue to promote it," said Nicole Deitelhoff, Head of PRIF and member of the Board of Trustees.
Minister of Peace, Muferiat Kamil, received the award on behalf of the Prime Minister at a ceremony held yesterday in the Landtag, Germany.
The peace agreement and the reconciliation of the two neighbouring states based on it raise hopes for the stabilization of the entire region.
The changes introduced by Abiy Ahmed Ali are also noteworthy domestically: since Emperor Haile Selassie was overthrown in 1974, there has been no change of government in the country without bloodshed.
The increased public attention that followed the award of the Hessian Peace Prize could serve as a reminder not to stop now but to press ahead with these domestic reforms peacefully and integratively.
Abiy Ahmed Ali, born 1976 in Beshasha, Ethiopia, appointed Prime Minister of Ethiopia in April 2018.
The Hessian Peace Prize was established on 16 October 1993 by former Hessian Prime Minister Albert Osswald and the foundation he established. It is awarded to people who have rendered outstanding services to international understanding and peace. Each year, a prize winner selected by the Hessian Peace Prize Board of Trustees receives the prize endowed with 25,000 euros. The PRIF advises the Board of Trustees on the selection and documents the award ceremony.