NAIROBI, Kenya — When the Norwegian Nobel Committee chose the Ethiopian prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, for its peace prize this fall, it cited his efforts to free his country from years of political repression by releasing political prisoners, legalizing outlawed opposition groups and “discontinuing media censorship.”But when Mr. Abiy collects his prize in Oslo on Tuesday, he will not take questions from the news media, a move that breaks from tradition and has drawn criticism from the Nobel Committee. Mr. Abiy won’t speak to reporters ahead of the awards ceremony or take questions after meeting with the Norwegian prime minister, Erna Solberg, Nobel officials said. He is also planning to skip an annual event where children perform for, and pose questions to, the peace prize laureate, hosted by Save the Children. Mr. Abiy’s minister of peace will attend on his behalf, the prime minister’s office said. A spokeswoman, Billene Seyoum, said that Mr. Abiy had more pressing priorities and that such events were not in keeping with “the humble disposition of the prime minister rooted in our cultural context.”

Source: International New York Times December 09, 2019 20:15 UTC