Mozambique

Former Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano won a USD 5 million leadership prize Oct. 22 that promoters hope will encourage other African heads of state to rule wisely, without overstaying their welcomes. Chissano, who just turned 68, helped bring “peace, reconciliation, stable democracy and economic progress to his country,” former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who headed the prize committee for the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, said during a ceremony in London. In 2005, Chissano stepped down at a time when political analysts believed he could have won another five-year term. He is seen as having led the country through a treacherous era by ending a 16-year civil war and overseeing the transition to democracy. (The Washington Post)