Oslo - Martti Ahtisaari, Finnish ex-president and veteran
peace broker, has been awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize, the
Norwegian Nobel Committee announced in Oslo on Friday.
Ahtisaari, 71, was cited 'for his important efforts, on several
continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international
conflicts,' the committee said.
Minutes after the prize was announced, Ahtisaari said he regarded
'Namibia as the most important achievement' in his long career,
referring to his work as a United Nations envoy that helped the
southern African nation win independence in 1990.
'It took such a long time,' Ahtisaari told Norwegian broadcaster
NRK minutes after the award announcement.
Ahtisaari worked on the Namibia issue 1977 until 1990, a 'very
long period,' he said. The one-time German colony, previously known
as South West Africa gained independence from South Africa in March
1990.
But he said his efforts to forge a peace deal in 2005 between the
government of Indonesia and separatists in the province of Aceh, as
well as recent attempts to solve the status of Kosovo were also 'very
important.'
Ahtisaari said the 10 million kronor (1.5 million) cash prize will
offer 'many opportunities,' and provide funding for his organization
Crisis Management Institute that has been engaged in various
mediation efforts.
Nobel Committee Chairman Ole Danbolt Mjos said Ahtisaari has been
an 'outstanding international mediator,' noting he had shown 'what
role mediation of various kinds can play in the resolution of
international conflicts.'
In 2007, the peace prize was shared by the United Nations climate
body the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Al Gore
of the United States for their work on climate change.
For this year's award, the five-member Nobel Committee had
received 197 nominations for the coveted award including 33
organizations.
USA
Your Talkback on this Story