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African leadership prize for former Mozambique President

Ex-Mozambique President Joaqium Chissano

LONDON: The world’s first-ever international prize to an African leader for good governance and excellence in leadership has gone to Joaquim Chissano, former President of Mozambique.

The award, instituted by Mo Ibrahim, a Sudanese businessman and philanthropist, is claimed to be the largest individual prize comprising $5 million over 10 years and $2,00,000 annually for life thereafter . Another $200,000 a year for 10 years will be given to pay for the winner’s public interest activities and good causes.

Announcing the winner here on Monday, Kofi Annan, former U.N. Secretary-General and the Chair of the Prize Committee, said Mr. Chissano was chosen for “bringing peace, reconciliation, stable democracy and economic progress” to Mozambique.

The committee, he said, was also impressed that Mr. Chissano, who served two terms as President, stepped down without seeking a third term though the Constitution allowed.

Describing him as a powerful voice for Africa in international arena, Mr. Annan said: “The Prize celebrates more than just good governance. It celebrates leadership. The ability to formulate a vision and to convince others of that vision; and the skill of giving courage to society to accept difficult changes in order to make possible a longer term aspiration for a better, fairer future.”

The citation noted that Mr. Chissano took office after winning his country’s first multi-party elections in 1994. “The historic elections were held just two years after he had helped the country end, through negotiations, the 16-year civil war which had devastated Mozambique, left thousands dead and forced many to flee their homes. He led a country whose infrastructure and economy were ruined, its society deeply divided and which suffered from sever natural disasters,” it said adding that though huge challenges remained, Mozambique, under Mr. Chissano established a stable economy, making the country one of Africa’s emerging success stories.

The annual Prize was launched by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation in October 2006 as an African initiative to strengthen governance in Africa. The winner was selected by the Prize Committee of six eminent individuals who assessed every sub-Saharan African leader who has left office in the last three full calendar years on their exercise of leadership.

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