Ethiopia’s PM, Abiy Ahmed Responds to Donald Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize Claim

Ethiopia’s PM Abiy Ahmed has responded to the American president, Donald Trump’s statements on winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

While addressing supporters at a rally in Ohio on January 9, 2020, Donald Trump claimed that he, not Ahmed deserved to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Critics and political commentators around the world have hit out at the American leader over the statement, saying that one with such an attitude is not deserving of the honour.

In his response, Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed advised the U.S. president to direct his complaints about not winning the Nobel Peace Prize to the awards committee in Oslo. Saying neither he nor Ethiopia had anything to do with the decision.

You will recall that Abiy Ahmed was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2019 for his role in the 2018 Ethiopia – Eritrea peace deal and other reforms back in his home country.

Speaking at the rally a few days ago, Trump said the leader of one of the country’s had been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize after he (Trump) had made a deal and saved a nation.

Donald Trump claimed he was the brain and muscle behind the Ethiopian-Eritrean peace deal, and so, should be the one awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize.

“I’m going to tell you about the Nobel Peace Prize. I made a deal; I saved a country. And I just heard that the head of that country is now getting the Nobel Peace Prize for saving the country.

“...did I have something to do with it? Yeah. But you know that’s the way it is. As long as we know, that’s all that matters. I saved a big war; I saved a couple of them,” he added as supporters cheered him.

The peace deal saw an end to the over two-decades of a standoff between the neighbouring countries.

Many analysts in the region had mentioned the involvement of foreign nations in bringing about reconciliation. 

The Gulf states – especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – were routinely mentioned as crucial backers of the deal. Both countries have awarded Gold Medals to Abiy and Afwerki after the agreement.

In response to Trump’s claims of deserving the Peace Prize, Abiy told journalists in South Africa 

‘‘To be honest, I am not aware of the criteria used to select winners of the prize.

o Trump’s complaint must go to the Nobel Prize Committee in Oslo, not Ethiopia,’‘ Abiy said at a joint press briefing with South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa.

‘‘I am not working for the prize, I am working for peace which is a very critical thing for our region.’‘

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Header Image Credit: Anadolu Agency