In London today former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan named the first recipient of the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership. Jenna Crombie of Newsweek's London bureau was present for the announcement. Her report:

No doubt by now, the former President of Mozambique will have heard the good news. This morning former U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan announced that Joaquim Chissano, who led Mozambique between 1986 and 2005, was the first winner of the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership. Annan, chair of the Prize Committee, praised Chissano’s successes in reducing poverty levels, encouraging peace and reconciliation in wake of the ravages of civil war and in boosting the economy of his southern African nation during his two terms in office. Annan said he hoped this award would serve to celebrate good African governance and shed light upon the emergence of conscientious leaders.

The prize of $5 million dollars over 10 years, followed by $200,000 annually for the rest of the recipient’s lifetime, is the largest philanthropic award of its kind. Ibrahim, 61, a successful Sudanese businessman who sold  the telecom company he created in 2005 for $3.4 billion, is putting up the funds. He is hopeful that one day the recognition of the award will, like the Nobels, be of greater value than the substantial monetary prize.

But even as members of the diplomatic and international communities learned of his win, Chissano was none the wiser. As Annan made the announcement, he revealed that he was racing to get the news to the Mozambican ahead of the media. It's not yet clear if Annan won that race--but however Chissano heard, it could only have been a welcome 68th birthday gift for the former president.