The late former President of Zimbabwe Robert Gabriel Mugabe was on Tuesday honoured posthumously by Ethiopian Prime minister Abiy Ahmed for his contribution to the prosperity of the African continent as one of the Founding Fathers of the Organization of African Unity.
Other African leaders who were honoured at the same ceremony include Ethiopia’s Emperor Haile Selassie I, Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda, Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere, Ahmed Sekou Toure, and Mali’s Modibo Keita. Other awards went to Cote d’Ivoire’s Felix Hoffet Bounai and Senegal’s Leopold Sedar Senghor.
President Ahmed also awarded a Pan-African prize to Morocco’s late King Hassan II, recognizing his contributions to the establishment of the African Union and Pan-Africanism.
According to self-exiled former cabinet minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo, President Mugabe’s award was received by Albert Mugabe Junior.
The ceremony was part of the first African Youth Summit, which took place between October 29 and November 1.
The summit held in Ethiopia brought together youth from across Africa to discuss ways of strengthening pan-Africanist visions and promoting the best interests of the continent.
Mugabe was in August this year honoured posthumously by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) alongside other founding fathers of the bloc including former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere, Agostinho Neto of Angola, Eswatini’s King Sobhuza the Second, Malawi’s Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda and Mozambique’s Samora Machel.
The SADC award was received by former first lady Grace Mugabe in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
