Rabat - King Mohammed VI has been awarded the Mandela Peace Prize 2016 by the Paris-based Mandela Institute.
Rabat – King Mohammed VI has been awarded the Mandela Peace Prize 2016 by the Paris-based Mandela Institute.
The king won the prize for his “contribution to the building a society of justice and peace between humans and nations, in addition to his efforts to promote the development of Africa through economic, security and cultural diplomacy,” according to the award’s jury.
Over the course of 2016, the king visited several African countries, including Ethiopia, Madagascar, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Nigeria. During his travels, the monarch fostered South-South partnership through multiple bilateral agreements and groundbreaking economic projects.
Chaired by Dr. Paul Kananura, the Mandela Award is awarded to people or institutions that foster peace within Africa.
This year, the Mandela Prize for Democracy Award went to Mali President Ibrahim Boubcar Keita for “his immense efforts and contribution to democracy and security consolidation in northern Mali.”
The Mandela Security Award went to Niger President Isoufou Mahmadou following his “firm national security policy and his regional leadership in the security field to terrorists and drug trafficking in the Sahel and the Lake Chad.”
Senegalese President Macky Sall was also honored with the Mandela Prize of Emergence for his “visionary societal projects to develop the future of his country.”
The 2016 annual award received 3623 nomination applications, including 3191 popular applications and 388 diplomatic applications.
Edited by Ghita Benslimane
