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Tony Blair congratulates President Johnson-Sirleaf on Nobel Peace Prize

Tony Blair has congratulated President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia on being named one of three recipients of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Committee announced today that the Peace Prize for 2011 is to be divided in three equal parts between Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work. In a statement released by the Nobel Committee, they said that since she was elected, President Johnson-Sirleaf “has contributed to securing peace in Liberia, to promoting economic and social development, and to strengthening the position of women”.

Commenting on the news, Tony Blair, Patron of the Africa Governance Initiative (AGI), said:

“It is difficult to think of a more deserving recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize than President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia. As Africa’s first female Head of State, she is undoubtedly a powerful symbol of the continent’s progress. But Ellen is much more than that to those who know of Liberia’s development over recent years, which has been nothing short of remarkable.

“Following two decades of devastating civil war which killed almost ten percent of the population and more than halved the size of the economy, Liberia is now a stable country firmly on the road to recovery: a testament to the resolve and determination of the Liberian people. Ellen is rightly regarded as one of Africa’s great leaders, and it is a real privilege to work with her through the work I do with my Africa Governance Initiative.”

To find out more about AGI’s work with President Johnson-Sirleaf and the Government of Liberia, visit the AGI website: www.africagovernance.org