Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Prize for African leadership unclaimed

|
|
 
  
Former Secretary-General Kofi Annan addresses the 61st session of the General Assembly at the United Nations on September 19, 2006 in New York. (UPI File Photo/Monika Graff) 
License photo
Published: June 15, 2010 at 11:13 AM

LONDON, June 15 (UPI) -- For the second year in a row, no one has been awarded the $5 million Ibrahim prize for outstanding democratic leadership in Africa, sponsors say.

The world's largest award for statesmanship was established three years ago by Mo Ibrahim, a Sudanese communications entrepreneur who wanted to help a continent with a history of poor governance, The Times of London reported Tuesday.

This year's prize committee, headed by former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, found itself in the embarrassing position of having no one to give the prize to.

"Whether there is a winner or not the purpose is to challenge those in Africa and across the world to debate what constitutes excellence in leadership," Annan said.

Previous winners include Festus Mogae, the former president of Botswana, Joaquim Chissan of Mozambigue and Nelson Mandela, who was made an honorary laureate in 2007.

© 2010 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
Father's Day: Celebrity dads The 2012 Miss USA competition Faces of the 2012 French Open
2012 MTV Movie Awards Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee Notable deaths of 2012
Additional World News Stories
1 of 20
Lil Niqo arrives at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards in Universal City, California
View Caption
Rapper Lil Niqo arrives at the MTV Movie Awards at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California on June 3, 2012. UPI/Jim Ruymen
fark
I killed three rare turtles
Woman Beats Man with Prosthetic Leg during Argument over Groceries
"Glamor shots" that Tan Mom Patricia Krentcil took in her 20s have surfaced and her face was just...
The Dum Dum mystery flavor is basically their leftover goop. Childhood ruined
"Every week they catch them shipping little babies wrapped in gold foil for these guys to eat. They...
Photoshop this sand queen