Chadian President Mohamed Idriss Déby Itno has been awarded the Africa Peace Promotion Award for 2026, in recognition of his leadership and policies aimed at strengthening peace, unity and humanitarian responsibility across the continent.
The decision was announced by the Africa Conference for Peace Promotion through its Africa Peace Promotion Award Committee, following a meeting of an international panel of experts held at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva. The meeting was hosted by the University for Peace.
The session was chaired by Dr David Fernández Puyana, the University for Peace’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva and Vienna and its permanent delegate to UNESCO in Paris. The meeting was attended by Mahfoudh bin Bayyah, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace and General Coordinator of the Africa Conference for Peace Promotion, along with committee members comprising international legal, human rights and diplomatic experts.
The committee said President Déby was selected in recognition of policies marked by a strong sense of humanitarian and national responsibility, particularly in the areas of hosting refugees, promoting national unity and reinforcing social cohesion.
Since its launch, the Africa Peace Promotion Award has been presented to only a limited number of African heads of state, underscoring its selective and symbolic nature. The most recent recipient prior to President Déby was Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara.
President Déby is expected to travel to Nouakchott in early February to formally receive the award from Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani during the Africa Conference for Peace Promotion. The event is being organized in cooperation between the Mauritanian government and the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace.
Organizers said the partnership reflects the United Arab Emirates’ broader approach of working closely with regional and international partners to promote stability, strengthen cooperation and support inclusive and sustainable development in line with the aspirations of African peoples for peace and progress.
The Africa Peace Promotion Award is an annual honor established by the Africa Conference for Peace Promotion, following recommendations made during its second international forum in 2022, and is dedicated to recognizing leading figures who have made significant contributions to peacebuilding across Africa.
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