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Botswana's Mogae wins $5m prize | Botswana's Mogae wins $5m prize |
(30 minutes later) | |
Botswana's former President Festus Mogae has won a $5m (£2.8m) prize to encourage good governance in Africa. | Botswana's former President Festus Mogae has won a $5m (£2.8m) prize to encourage good governance in Africa. |
He stepped down in April after serving two terms in office. | He stepped down in April after serving two terms in office. |
Botswana is one of Africa's most stable countries - it has never had a coup and has had regular multi-party elections since independence in 1966. | Botswana is one of Africa's most stable countries - it has never had a coup and has had regular multi-party elections since independence in 1966. |
Announcing the prize, ex-UN Secretary General Kofi Annnan also commended Mr Mogae for his action to tackle the Aids pandemic which has ravaged the country. | Announcing the prize, ex-UN Secretary General Kofi Annnan also commended Mr Mogae for his action to tackle the Aids pandemic which has ravaged the country. |
The Ibrahim Prize - the most valuable individual annual prize in the world - was set up by Sudan-born telecoms entrepreneur Mo Ibrahim. | The Ibrahim Prize - the most valuable individual annual prize in the world - was set up by Sudan-born telecoms entrepreneur Mo Ibrahim. |
As well as the $5m prize, Mr Mogae gets $200,000 a year for the rest of his life. | |
Alcohol ban | |
"President Mogae's outstanding leadership has ensured Botswana's continued stability and prosperity in the face of an HIV/Aids pandemic which threatened the future of his country and people," Mr Annan said. | |
Botswana is the world's biggest diamond producer but unlike other resource-rich countries in Africa, this has not become a source of conflict. | |
"Botswana demonstrates how a country with natural resources can promote sustainable development with good governance, in a continent where too often mineral wealth has become a curse," Mr Annan said. | |
Mr Annan also noted that Mr Mogae had tried to diversify Botswana's economy away from its reliance on diamonds. | |
In 2006, President Mogae's government introduced a law curbing the sale of alcohol and banning it on Sunday. | |
He blamed alcohol for the spread of HIV/Aids, among other problems. | |
But Mr Mogae also came in for criticism from lobby group Survival International for Botswana's policy of relocating Bushmen groups away from their traditional homes in the Kalahari desert. | |
Mr Mogae was succeeded as president by Seretse Khama Ian Khama in April. | |
Former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano won the inaugural Ibrahim Prize last year. |