LONDON, 22 October: Mozambiques former president, Joaquim Chissano, who brought peace and democracy to his country, won the first Mo Ibrahim Prize Monday for achievement in African leadership, according to news agencies
Chissano wins a cash award of 5 million US dollar (ca. 26 mio. DKR) – a prize intended to encourage African leaders to govern well.
The prize was established by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which was launched last year to boost governance in Africa. The winner was selected by a committee that assessed every sub-Saharan African leader who has left office in the past three years.
Chissano is likely to come under close scrutiny from Ibrahims detractors, some of whom accuse the former cell-phone mogul of wasting his money trying to bribe African leaders into behaving themselves.
Chissano, who celebrates his 68th birthday Monday, was in southern Sudan, where he has been mediating peace talks between Ugandan rebels and the Ugandan government. Chissano has been mediating the talks as a special envoy of the UN secretary-general.
Chissano voluntarily relinquished power in 2004 after governing Mozambique for 18 years following the death of the countrys first president, Samora Machel
As president, Chissano brokered a lasting peace for Mozambiques postcolonial civil war and oversaw the East African nations transition from Marxism to a free market economy.
The prize committee praised Chissano for the economic progress he brought to his poor nation and credited him with success in poverty reduction programs, infrastructure development and work to tackle HIV/AIDS.
