African of the Year 2012

Thabo Mbeki was named African of the year for his consistent efforts to avert war between Sudan and South Sudan. Former Tanzanian Prime Minister Salim A. Salim said the former South African President showed “outstanding leadership” of the (AUHIP) African Union’s High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan. The award is sponsored by the Daily Trust newspaper of Abuja, Nigeria. The award is usually given to an ordinary African but was awarded to Mbeki for his extraordinary work.