International
Colombia President bags Nobel Peace Prize
President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia has been awarded the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize Award for his efforts at ending the 52-year conflict in that country.
The Nobel committee praised him for a peace deal signed with Farc rebels, led by Rodrigo Londono, known as Timochenko, but rejected by Colombians in a vote.
Santos in his acceptance speech dedicated the award to “all the victims of the conflict”, and was congratulated by the Farc leader.
About 260,000 people have been killed and more than six million internally displaced in Colombia.
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The head of the Nobel committee said the award recognised the president’s “resolute efforts” to end the conflict.
“The award should also be seen as a tribute to the Colombian people who, despite great hardships and abuses, have not given up hope of a just peace, and to all the parties who have contributed to the peace process,” Kaci Kullman Five added.
Mr Santos said on Twitter: “This honourable distinction is not for me, it’s for all the victims of the conflict. Together we’ll win the most important award of them all: peace.”
The Farc leader, also on twitter, said: “I congratulate President Juan Manuel Santos, Cuba and Norway, who sponsored the process, and Venezuela and Chile, who assisted it, without them, peace would be impossible.”
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