According to CNN, Ahmed was awarded the 100th Peace Prize after brokering "an audacious peace deal" between the two African nations that had raged for two decades. Although Greta Thunberg had been considered a front-runner for the 2019 prize, Ahmed bested hundreds of nominees including the teen climate activist and New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern.
In addition to his efforts to “achieve peace and international cooperation,” Ahmed was also cited for his “decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea,” the Nobel committee said in its official statement.