During the last decade, seven of the ten (10) Nobel Peace Prizes have been awarded to Africans. This prestigious recognition, established by Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel in March 1901 is one of the five (5) Nobel Prizes awarded annually to those who have "done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses".
The following Africans have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of their efforts to advance various peace causes in their homesteads & across the continent ;
1961 - Albert Luthuli (South Africa) : awarded for his work to establish non-racial, democratic governance in South Africa. He was the first black African to receive the prize. Albert Luthuli (activist and politician)
1978 - Mohamed Anwar al-Sadat (Egypt) : awarded for his work at normalizing relations between the countries (Egypt & Israel) after three wars, and for seeking peace in the Middle East. He shared the prize with Israel's Menachem Begin. Mohamed Anwar al-Sadat (Egypt's President, 1970-1981)
1984 - Desmond Tutu (South Africa) : an archbishop, awarded for his efforts to end apartheid in South Africa.
1993 - Nelson Mandela & F.W de Klerk (South Africa) : for transitioning apartheid South Africa to a non racial democratic state
2001 - Kofi Anan (Ghana) : receives the Nobel Peace Prize for his work at the U.N. and his efforts to contain the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. Kofi Anan (UN Secretary General, 1997-2006)
2004 - Wangari Maathai (Kenya) : an environmentalist, receives the Nobel Peace Prize for her decades of work to end deforestation, while simultaneously empowering women, with the “Green Belt Movement.”. Wangari Maathai (environmentalist, political activist)
2005 - Mohamed ElBaradei (Egypt) : awarded for his work to end the military use of nuclear energy and to promote the peaceful use of atomic power. Mohamed ElBaradei (Director-General International Atomic Energy Agency, 1997-2006)
2011 - Ellen Johnson Sirleaf & Leymah Gbowee (Liberia) : awarded jointly for their work to improve women’s safety and their participation in peace-building processes. Yemeni journalist Tawakkol Karman was a joint recipient of this award for efforts to promote reconciliation between Sjia and Sunni Muslims and between Islam and other religions during the Arab Spring.
2015 - The Tunisian Dialogue Quartet (consisting of the Tunisian General Labor Union; the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts; the Tunisian Human Rights League and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers) were awarded for their work to establish a peaceful democratic process following the Tunisia Revolution of 2011. The Tunisian Dialogue Quartet (2015)
2018 - Denis Mukwege (DR Congo) : a doctor, awarded for his work with wartime rape victims and for his advocacy to end sexual violence as a weapon of war in armed conflicts. Denis Mukwege (Gynaecologist)
2019 - Abiy Ahmed (Ethiopia) : awarded for his success at normalizing relations with Eritrea, a long-term foe of Ethiopia, and for helping to stabilize the Horn of Africa. Ahmed Abiy (Ethiopia's Prime Minister)