President of the Republic of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço has announced that eminent Scholar-Diplomat, former Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister and erstwhile United Nations Under Secretary-General, Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, has been chosen to receive a Peace and Development Medal as the country celebrates its 50th Anniversary of Independence.
The New Diplomat reports that Gambari who was at various times Nigeria’s Ambassador/ Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York, Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the African Union/Chief Mediator in Darfur, and President of the United Nations Security Council, will be be honoured with the medal of peace and development by Angola on November 6, 2025.
In a letter from the Embassy of the Republic of Angola in Nigeria, Benin, Niger, and ECOWAS, signed by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Dr. José Bamoquina Zau and sighted by The New Diplomat, Gambari was commended for his role in advancing the peace process in Angola through his high offices at the United Nations.
The letter reads in part: “The Embassy of the Republic of Angola in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Republic of Benin, Republic of Niger, and to ECOWAS presents its highest compliments to Your Excellency and has the honour to inform you that, on behalf of His Excellency João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, you have been selected to receive the Peace and Development Medal.
“This distinguished honour will be conferred during the official ceremony marking the 50th Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Angola, scheduled to take place on 6 November 2025.
“This decoration is a symbol of deep gratitude and recognition of Your Excellency’s vital role, through the United Nations, in advancing the peace process in Angola. It also acknowledges the enduring support and solidarity of the Nigerian people in Angola’s journey toward.”
The New Diplomat reports that Gambari is celebrated for his efforts in Angola which focused on mediating the peace process following the Lusaka Protocol and supporting post-conflict recovery.
As a UN envoy, Gambari monitored the implementation of the peace agreement and facilitated humanitarian aid for displaced persons. He also worked on consolidating peace through human rights promotion and the building of democratic institutions.
The New Diplomat also reports that in 2003, the then Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan commended Gambari for his efforts in Angola.
Annan stated: “I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my Special
Representation, Ibrahim Gambari, for his efforts to bring to a conclusion this
important phase of United Nations involvement in Angola. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the United Nations staff who have served, and continue to serve, the cause of peace and development in Angola for their tireless efforts and exemplary dedication.”
