Mo Ibrahim Prize winner's advice to leaders

Former Cape Verde President Pedro Pires has urged Africa leaders to refrain from egoism and intolerance which “are among the main causes of insecurity on the continent”.

He urged African presidents in particular, to “contentiously reject the notion that those with dissention voices are enemies”.

The former president was speaking in the Cape Verdian capital Praia Monday during the opening of a three-day peace building conference organised by the West African Research Association and the West Africa Research Centre.

Mr Pires urged African leaders not to compromise the love for their compatriots and nation.

He said sustainable peace could be achieved only when the stakeholders fought against violence and impunity.

The former leader recalled that the successful fight against the Portuguese colonisers by Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau, was due to the people's love for their countries.

Earlier, the organisers of the third regional conference explained that the event was an opportunity to draw from the experiences of journalists from the region on how to attain and maintain peace.

Nearly 20 journalists from Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone West Africa were in attendance alongside peace building and conflict management researchers.

The West Africa Research Association and the West Africa Research Centre is a multi-faceted regional programme that explores peace building and conflict resolution in the region and has included a journalism institute in its programme.

Mr Pires is the 2011 recipient of the prestigious Mo Ibrahim Prize for leadership and good governance. It is awarded to former African presidents who have distinguished themselves in these two fields.