Nobel Peace Prize 2016 awarded to Colombian president

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has won the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the country’s civil war.

BREAKING NEWS The 2016 #NobelPrize #Peace is awarded to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos pic.twitter.com/7OhiCruc1o— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 7, 2016

It comes as a surprise after the peace deal he negotiated with the FARC rebels to end 52 years of conflict collapsed when voters narrowly rejected it in a referendum earlier this week.

“The award should also be seen as a tribute to the Colombian people who despite great hardship and abuses have not given up hope of the just peace and to all the parties who have contributed to this peace process,” said Kaci Kullman Five, the head of the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Committee.

Santos said he vowed to continue to work for peace until his last day in office.

The Nobel committee said it hoped the prize would ‘give him strength to succeed in this difficult task.’