This year’s Africa Peace Award 2012 has been awarded to Ghana by the South Africa-based African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD).

Ghana receives Africa Peace Award.

The APA award, according to officials, is in recognition of the efforts of government and the people of Ghana at large to maintain peace in the country.

Disclosing the news to Ghana’s President John Evans Atta Mills at the Castle on Friday, a trustee of ACCORD, Ambassador Billy Modise, explained that the award is in recognition of the country’s contribution to world peace as well as efforts to maintain internal cohesion.

Previous recipients of the prize include former South African President Nelson Mandela, Burundi, Mozambique and Sierra Leone.

The Peace Award will be presented to President Mills on behalf of Ghana in South Africa at a date yet to be decided upon.

President Mills, who expressed appreciation on behalf of the people of Ghana for the award urged Africans to endeavor to promote peace as a precursor to development.

He further bemoaned the negative effects on conflicts on development and expressed the hope that the ACCORD award will challenge all to ensure peace.

Previous recipients of the Award include former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa, and the nations of Mozambique (1997), Nigeria (2000), Burundi (2006) and Sierra Leone (2010).

About Africa Peace Award

The Africa Peace Award was instituted by ACCORD in 1993 to recognise those communities, institutions or individuals in South Africa through whose efforts conflict was turned to peace.

In 1995 the Award was extended to the whole of Africa, in the hope that it would promote peace, create role models and instill a sense of pride in the people of the African Continent. 2010 is Africa Peace Award year once again.