Botswana's former president on top

Former President Dr. Festus Gontebanye Mogae won the Mo Ibrahim Prize for African leadership on Monday, for ensuring good governance and prosperity for the country.Mogae was announced the winner of the $5-million prize, the world's largest individual award by former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in London.Announcing the 2008 Ibrahim Laureate in front of an audience of London’s African diplomatic community, civil society representatives and the media, Mr. Annan, the Chair of the Prize Committee, said: “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.” Annan praised President Mogae’s stewardship of the Botswana economy, saying, “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.” The 2008 Ibrahim Laureate was selected by the Prize Committee of six eminent individuals, chaired by Annan and including fellow Nobel peace laureates Martti Ahtisaari, a former president of Finland, and Mohamed ElBaradei, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.The Committee assesses democratically elected former Executive Heads of State or Government from sub-Saharan African countries who have served their term in office within the limits set by their country’s constitutions, and have left office within the last three years. On hearing the outcome of the Prize Committee’s deliberations, Mo Ibrahim, the founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, said he was delighted that the Committee had selected President Mogae as the second Ibrahim Laureate; he described him as “another example of outstanding leadership from the African continent.”Mogae is the second leader after the former President of Mozambique, Mr. Joaquim Chissano, to win the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership. The foundation was created by Mo Ibrahim, a Sudanese-born billionaire who founded the African telecommunications company, Celtel International.Mogae will receive, in addition to the US$5 million disbursed over 10 years, US$200,000 annually for life. The Mo Ibrahim Foundation will also consider granting $200,000 annually for 10 years to the causes that the former president supports. Mogae led Botswana from 1998 to 2008 after taking over from Sir Ketumile Masire. On April 1st he passed the baton to President Lt Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama.