Donald Trump claims he had a hand in the latest Nobel Peace Prize going to Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed after saying he ‘made a deal’ to save the country
- President Trump suggested he was overlooked for last year’s Nobel Peace Prize
- The US President said he made a deal , ‘saved a country’ and ‘saved a big war’
- Some said he had referred to the new peace with between Ethiopia and Eritrea
- But Ethiopian official says remarks referred to Ethiopia and Egypt dam tensions
Not one to shy away from a little self-congratulation, Donald Trump has suggested he was overlooked for last year’s Nobel Peace Prize which went to the leader of Ethiopia for ending a war.
The US President, speaking at a campaign rally, did not mention the East African country by name, but said: ‘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 the country… as long as we know… I saved a big war, I’ve saved a couple of them.’
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed accepted the prize in December for making peace with longtime rival Eritrea and other reforms.
Donald Trump has suggested he was overlooked for last year’s Nobel Peace Prize which went to the leader of Ethiopia for ending a war. He is pictured at a campaign rally in Toledo, Ohio this week
Mr Trump almost never comments on Africa, and some critics have said his administration has neglected African issues.
Many Ethiopians were puzzled by Mr Trump’s remarks.
Some said his talk of a deal must have referred to the new peace with Eritrea.
But one senior Ethiopian official said the remarks referred to preventing further tensions between Ethiopia and Egypt over a massive dam that Ethiopia is completing on the Nile river.
Egypt says the dam threatens its water supply but Ethiopia says it is needed for development.
Ministers from the countries, plus Sudan, are expected to meet in Washington on Monday to report on the failure of their latest round of talks.
‘He was talking about Egypt and Ethiopia,’ the official with Ethiopia’s foreign ministry said.
The official asserted that Egypt’s president lobbied Mr Trump over the disputed dam project, leading to the US taking a role in the discussions.
‘President Trump really believes he avoided a war as such … but that was not the case,’ the official said.
One senior Ethiopian official said the remarks referred to preventing further tensions between Ethiopia and Egypt over a massive dam that Ethiopia is completing on the Nile river