Ex-Cape Verde leader Pires wins African governance prize

The former president of Cape Verde, Pedro Pires, on Monday won a lucrative prize for excellence in African leadership awarded by the business tycoon Mo Ibrahim's foundation. Pires, who led the former Portuguese colony off Africa's northwest coast for a decade until August, is the first winner of the award since 2008 because no suitable candidate could be found for the past two years. Cape Verde has been praised for its stable democracy and peaceful elections and in 2008 became only the second country after Botswana to be promoted by the United Nations out of the ranks of the 50 least developed countries. Salim Ahmed Salim, the Chair of the Prize Committee, told an audience in London: "President Pires's democratic credentials were further enhanced when he announced he was stepping down at the end of his second term. "Dismissing outright suggestions that the constitution could be altered to allow him to stand again, he said: 'This is a simple matter of faithfulness to the documents that guide a state of law'. "Throughout his long career, president Pires has been dedicated to the service of his people, including those in the diaspora, while retaining his humility and personal integrity." The Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership carries a $5.0 million (3.7 million euro) prize paid over 10 years and $200,000 annually for life from then on. The last winner of the prize launched in 2006 by the

, was Festus Mogae, the former president of Botswana, in 2008. The foundation also published this year's Ibrahim Index of African Governance, which ranks 53 countries according to 14 sub-categories, grouped under safety and the rule of law, participation and human rights, sustainable economic opportunity and human development. Mauritius stayed at the top of the index, With a score of 82 out of 100, ahead of Cape Verde (79), Botswana (76), Seychelles (73) and South Africa (71). Two countries whose leaders were overthrown in the Arab Spring, Tunisia and Egypt, were ranked ninth and tenth respectively. Somalia remained at the bottom with a score of eight, with Chad (31), Zimbabwe (31), Democratic Republic of Congo (32) and Central African Republic (33) ahead of the troubled state. Ibrahim said that imbalanced development in Africa could lead to more revolutions such as the uprisings seen in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. "If economic progress is not translated into better quality of life and respect for citizens' rights, we will witness more Tahrir Squares in Africa," he said. "What we see is stagnation, and in many countries reversal in human rights and participation. "That reversal in the rights of citizens must be stopped and African leaders must really pursue a balanced development agenda. "If you don't believe us, just look at Tahrir Square. When you look at the data which emerged, you see that development has to be equitable," he added, referring to the protest hub in Cairo. "Tunisia and Egypt were in the top 10 of the index. There is great progress in human development, a lot of young people well-educated, but terrible human rights, terrible democracy, lack of participation and no jobs for young people. "You end up with what happened in Tunis and Cairo. What we need is a balanced development across the board."