Trump suggests Abiy took his Nobel Peace Prize

US President Donald Trump has implied Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, unjustifiably won the Nobel Peace Prize, after he “made a deal”, and saved a country from war.

At an election rally in Toledo, Ohio, Trump addressed a crowd of supporters, saying “I’m going to tell you about the Nobel Peace Prize.  I made a deal, I saved a country.

“And I just heard that the head of that country is now getting the Nobel Peace Prize for saving that country”.

He then went on to say “I said… what the… did I have something to do with that?  Yeah.  But you know that’s the way it is. As long as we know that’s all that matters.  I saved a big war, I saved a couple of them”.

Trump doesn’t specifically mention any names, but clearly implies Abiy, who won the prize in November for his efforts to end the two-decade border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, had won it in his place.

The conflict between Ethiopia and neighbouring Eritrea, between 1998-2000, cost the lives of around 70,000 on both sides, before 18 years of post-war territorial stalemate ensured tensions remained high.

When Abiy was elected in April 2018, he agreed to fully implement the 2000 agreement, allowing peace to be declared by both parties in July 2018.

There is no evidence to suggest Trump had anything to do with the peace brokered between the two nations.

Photo credit: AP Photo | Jacquelyn Martin