The 2019 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Ahmed was cited for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighboring Eritrea.

Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chairwoman of the five-member Norwegian Nobel Institute that awards the Nobel Peace Prize said Ahmed was named for his moves to end his country's conflict with next door Eritrea within months of coming to office in 2018. He signed a "Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship," with Eritrean Prime Minister Isaias Afwerki.

"Thank you very much, I am so humbled and thrilled when I just hear the news. Thank you very much, it is a prize given to Africa, given to Ethiopia and I can imagine how the rest of Africa leaders will take it possibly to work on peace building progress in our continent. Thank you very much, I'm so happy and I'm so thrilled for the news," said Ahmed.

Within the Nobel Peace Prize there is a long history of prizes going to statesmen associated with ending conflicts, most recently Colombia's Juan Manuel Santos who was awarded the prize in 2016 for helping to bring his country's 50 year civil war to an end.

Since 1901, 99 Nobel Peace Prizes have been handed out, to individuals and 24 organizations. While the other prizes are announced in Stockholm, the peace prize was awarded, as ever, in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.

So far this week, 11 Nobel laureates have been named, of whom 10 are men.

(The Associated Press, CBS News contributed to this report.)