Nobel Peace Prizes for Africa over six decades

The first African to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize was the ANC president, Albert Lutuli, who won it in 1960 for his peaceful policies against racial segregation in South Africa. At the time, both the liberation movement and Luthuli had already been banned by the apartheid government. He wasn't able to receive the prize in Oslo until a year later, when a travel ban was lifted for 10 days.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu campaigned for human rights and against discrimination — he was South Africa's moral compass. "We are a rainbow nation," he said. The Anglican priest was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. The humorous dignitary was not only a close friend of Nelson Mandela, but appreciated worldwide, including by the Dalai Lama.

When anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela was released in 1990 after 27 years in jail, South Africa held its breath for what was a truly historic moment. In 1993, Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize alongside South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk. Mandela's fight against oppression paved the way for general elections a year later in which citizens of all races were allowed to vote.

Courage, patience and perseverance paid off: Resistance fighter Nelson Mandela and South African head of state Fredrik Willem de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 — even before Mandela was elected the first black president. The peaceful revolution was a success, but the peace process in democratic South Africa is far from over.

Kofi Annan was considered an ambassador for peace. In 2001, the Ghanaian diplomat and the United Nations jointly received the Nobel Prize for Annan's "commitment to a better organized and more peaceful world" as secretary-general of the world body. His otherwise shining career had one blot, though: Annan admitted to shortcomings of the UN in dealing with the genocide in Rwanda.

In 2004 a black woman received the Nobel Peace Prize for the first time: Wangari Maathai. The Kenyan professor fought for women's rights and against poverty in her home country. The deputy environment minister received the nickname "Mother of Trees" for her Green Belt Movement. She celebrated the prize in her own style, as she wrote in her autobiography: "I planted a tree."

In 2011, three women were honored together: Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (right), Liberian human rights activist Leymah Gbowee (center) and Yemeni journalist Tawakkul Karman. The two women from Liberia were honored for their efforts to save their country from violence during the civil war.

Congolese surgeon and human rights defender Denis Mukwege has made it his life's work to aid women who have been raped and mutilated. For many years, the gynecologist has been head surgeon at Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, which he founded in 1999. He gives his patients hope and courage — which garnered him the award in 2018, alongside Nadia Murad, an Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has reason to celebrate: He won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his "initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea." The Nobel Committee was also impressed by his reconciliation efforts in his own country, a reform process in the multi-ethnic state of Ethiopia that isn't over yet. Abiy is to receive the award on December 10 in Oslo.