Ethiopians in Norway protest Nobel Peace Prize for Abiy Ahmed
Ethiopians in Norway protest Nobel Peace Prize for Abiy Ahmed
As the entire world is celebrating the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed for bringing peace to the troubled region, a group of Eritreans living in Scandinavia have taken to the streets of the Norwegian capital, Oslo, to protest against Ahmed being awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
The award ceremony is due to start at 13:00 local time (12:00 GMT).
According to the Nobel Committee Abiy won the peace prize as a result of the following:
His “decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea”
He initiated “important reforms that give many citizens hope for a better life and a brighter future”
“He has also pledged to strengthen democracy”
He has “engaged in other peace and reconciliation processes” in the region
But the protesters in Oslo have said that the benefits of the peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia have never materialised and that the prime minister should not have been given the prize.
Around 250 protesters marched through Oslo city centre holding placards saying things like: ‘’Nobel Prize is for concrete peace, not rhetoric.”
One demonstrator told the BBC that since a peace deal was signed last year the political situation within Eritrea has not improved. Furthermore, the border between the two countries, which is closed to traffic, has still not been demarcated.
Human rights groups have frequently criticised the Eritrean government, which has never been elected.
Another activist said that a letter of protest had been sent to the Nobel Committee.
The protesters also met a representative of the Norwegian parliament.