Ivorians rejoice with Angela Merkel over UNESCO Peace Prize

The bright, monumental building rises 30 meters into the sky of Yamoussoukro, this strangely quiet capital of the Ivory Coast, far away from the hustle and bustle of the economic metropolis Abidjan. A white dove of peace adorns the globe in the geometrically designed park in front of the main entrance. The name of the institution based there is almost as impressive as the architecture: the Félix Houphouët Boigny Foundation for Peace Research.

Now 20-meter-long lengths of fabric adorn the building’s glass façade – printed with the likeness of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It is a very special setting for Merkel’s return to Africa, a good year after her retirement as Chancellor. On Wednesday, Angela Merkel will receive the Félix Houphouët Boigny UNESCO Peace Prize 2022 in the self-proclaimed “World Capital of Peace” for her contribution to overcoming the refugee crisis.

“A Great Woman”

Huge posters of Angela Merkel can be seen all over the city in Yamoussoukro, the former chancellor has become the talk of the town: “I read in the newspaper that she will receive the Félix Houphouët Boigny Peace Prize. She deserves it because she is a great woman. She has carried out many actions for peace,” a resident told DW. And another added: “She is a truly amazing woman. We would love to be like her.”

The people in the streets of Yamoussoukro are enthusiastic about the newly elected Ambassador of Peace: “She was a real leader. She has achieved a lot. She has also helped migrants come to Europe and opened the door for several thousand “, praised a resident in a DW interview.

Merkel leaves a lesson

The jury of the Félix Houphouët Boigny Peace Prize, named after the former President of the Ivory Coast, was impressed by Merkel’s courage in 2015 to open Germany to refugees. With their now legendary statement “We can do it!” In the federal press conference on August 31, 2015, the then Chancellor expressly welcomed refugees – and earned recognition and criticism for doing so.

“The entire jury was touched by her courageous decision in 2015 to take in more than 1.2 million refugees, particularly from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea,” said the President of the jury and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Denis Mukwege, in support of the UNESCO – Based in Paris. It is a lesson that Merkel is leaving to history.

UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay also paid tribute to Merkel’s commitment. “Peacemaking is also about opening doors for those who are suffering,” she explained. “The jury’s decision is a reminder that reception and the way we deal with migrants and refugees is a key concern.”

Made to deserve the peace

With her welcoming policy, Merkel has now made it into the illustrious series of prizewinners, which began in 1991 with the South Africans Nelson Mandela and Fredrik Willem de Klerk. But mostly these were awarded at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris, which curates the prize and today also manages the foundation of the Ivorian founder Félix Houphouët Boigny. The fact that Merkel, as the third prizewinner, received the prize at the foundation’s headquarters in Yamoussoukro has a high symbolic value.

In fact, the Félix Houphouët Boigny Foundation is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, 30 years after the death of Ivory Coast’s first President. In the Ivory Coast, which has been marked by civil war in its recent history, Houphouët-Boigny stands for the peaceful dawn after independence – an image that he tried to underpin by building a gigantic basilica and was able to further expand with his foundation.

The prize is endowed with 150,000 US dollars (122,000 euros). A gold medal and a certificate signed by the UNESCO Director General are also included. A number of West African leaders are expected to attend the awards ceremony on Wednesday. Merkel may be reminded of old times. This time she is traveling with a small delegation by scheduled flight.