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His Excellency Festus Mogae was President of Botswana from 1998 to 2008. Under his leadership, Botswana experienced steady economic growth that characterized its post-independence history. President Mogae has won international praise for his indelible efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Botswana. He is credited as one of the first heads of state in the world to get publicly tested for HIV. Under his administration, Botswana became the first country in Africa to provide free anti-retroviral therapy to citizens most in need. President Mogae has received a number of international awards, including the 2008 Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership and the Grand Cross of the Legion d’honneur by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy.