Nobel Winner Abiy Says 'hell' of War Fueled Desire for Peace

The winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize says his scaring experiences as a young Ethiopian soldier informed his resolution to seek the end of a long conflict with a neighboring country.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spoke at Oslo City Hall during the ceremony in Norway's capital where he received his Nobel on Tuesday, saying: "War is the epitome of hell for all involved. I know because I was there and back." 

Abiy won the prize, in part, for making peace with Eritrea after one of Africa's longest-running clashes. Abiy served in the army during the war.

"Twenty years ago, I was a radio operator connected to an Ethiopian army unit in the border town of Badame," he recalled. "I briefly left the foxhole in the hopes of getting a good antenna reception...It only took but a few minutes. Yet upon my return, I was terrified to discover that my whole unit had been wiped out in an artillery attack."

Source: AP