News / Africa
Thabo Mbeki is the African of the Year 2012
09 Nov 2012 at 06:09hrs | Views
Statement released by former Secretary General of the Organisation of African Unity Dr Salim Ahmed Salim and current Chairman of the Advisory Board of the DAILY TRUST African of the Year Award.
Daily Trust African of the Year Award: Former President Thabo Mbeki (2012)
This is the 5th year of the Daily Trust African of the Year award. The award is essentially to recognize and encourage what we consider to be an ordinary and exemplary African, who has made an outstanding contribution. Our past recipients of this award include in 2008 Dr. Denis Mukwege of DRC.
In 2009 we gave the award to the late pan-Africanist Dr. Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem of Nigeria. In 2010 we honored Mr. Danny Jordaan of South Africa and last year gave the award to former Chief Justice Salifou Fatima Bazeye of Niger.
Normally when we as an Advisory Panel choose the African of the Year, we look for an ordinary African doing extraordinary things. But this year in our deliberations we have decided to choose an already prominent African, but someone who in the context of the Sudanese crisis, has made what we consider to be an extraordinary contribution. Our award recipient this year is former South African President Thabo Mbeki.
The African Union had appointed theAfrican Union High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan (AUHIP), comprising former President Thabo Mbeki was serves as Chair along with former presidents Pierre Buyoya and Abdulsalami Abubakar.
In April this year, when Sudan and South Sudan came close to war, Mbeki and his panel immediately embarked upon a round of comprehensive negotiations resulting in the signature of 9 agreements on September 27, 2012, between Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
As the Daily Trust African of the Year Advisory Board, we were particularly impressed with the fact that these accords were of a comprehensive nature, not only focussing on the cessation of hostilities, but also on restarting southern oil exports through the North, reviving cross-border trade, and overall forging a new start in relations.
We believe that this intervention by the African Union in the Sudanese situation must be encouraged. Although a united Sudan could not be maintained, peace between the two neighbors-indeed sisterly states-Sudan and South Sudan, is critical for the African continent.
For his outstanding leadership of the panel, for his persistent and consistent involvement in the peace process, and for the success of the panel in bringing Sudan and South Sudan back from the brink of war and consolidating a new start in relations, Thabo Mbeki is the 2012 African of the Year.
In honouring President Mbeki and the AU High-Level Implementation Panel, we are not only recognizing this significant achievement, but we are hoping that this will encourage the Sudanese and South Sudanese people, as well as the African Union, to stay the course on the road to a permanent peace.
Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim
Chairman, Advisory Board
DAILY TRUST African of the Year Award
Daily Trust African of the Year Award: Former President Thabo Mbeki (2012)
This is the 5th year of the Daily Trust African of the Year award. The award is essentially to recognize and encourage what we consider to be an ordinary and exemplary African, who has made an outstanding contribution. Our past recipients of this award include in 2008 Dr. Denis Mukwege of DRC.
In 2009 we gave the award to the late pan-Africanist Dr. Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem of Nigeria. In 2010 we honored Mr. Danny Jordaan of South Africa and last year gave the award to former Chief Justice Salifou Fatima Bazeye of Niger.
Normally when we as an Advisory Panel choose the African of the Year, we look for an ordinary African doing extraordinary things. But this year in our deliberations we have decided to choose an already prominent African, but someone who in the context of the Sudanese crisis, has made what we consider to be an extraordinary contribution. Our award recipient this year is former South African President Thabo Mbeki.
The African Union had appointed theAfrican Union High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan (AUHIP), comprising former President Thabo Mbeki was serves as Chair along with former presidents Pierre Buyoya and Abdulsalami Abubakar.
As the Daily Trust African of the Year Advisory Board, we were particularly impressed with the fact that these accords were of a comprehensive nature, not only focussing on the cessation of hostilities, but also on restarting southern oil exports through the North, reviving cross-border trade, and overall forging a new start in relations.
We believe that this intervention by the African Union in the Sudanese situation must be encouraged. Although a united Sudan could not be maintained, peace between the two neighbors-indeed sisterly states-Sudan and South Sudan, is critical for the African continent.
For his outstanding leadership of the panel, for his persistent and consistent involvement in the peace process, and for the success of the panel in bringing Sudan and South Sudan back from the brink of war and consolidating a new start in relations, Thabo Mbeki is the 2012 African of the Year.
In honouring President Mbeki and the AU High-Level Implementation Panel, we are not only recognizing this significant achievement, but we are hoping that this will encourage the Sudanese and South Sudanese people, as well as the African Union, to stay the course on the road to a permanent peace.
Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim
Chairman, Advisory Board
DAILY TRUST African of the Year Award
Source - DAILY TRUST African of the Year Award
