POLITICS

Mandela's passing: The Heads of State and Govt who will be in SA - DIRCO

Barack Obama, Prince Charles, David Cameron, Joachim Gauck have confirmed attendance

Confirmation of foreign Heads of State and Government attending activities relating to Former President Mandela's passing

The South African Government can confirm that the following Heads of State and Government and their representatives, as well as royalty, are travelling to South Africa to join the people of South Africa in bidding a final farewell to the late Former President Nelson Mandela:

Afghanistan, His Excellency Hamid Karzai, President 

Mozambique, President of Mozambique, HE Armando Emilio Guebuza

Algeria, His Excellency Mr Abdelkader Bensalah, Speaker of the Council of the Nation (Senate) - rank above the Prime Minister 

Namibia, His Excellency Hifikepunye Pohamba, President

Angola, His Excellency Mr Manuel Vicente, Vice President 

Niger, His Excellency Issoufou Mahamdou, President

Argentina, Mr Amado Boudou, Acting President of Argentina 

New Zealand,  Right Hon John Key, Prime Minister

Australia,  His Excellency Mr Tony Abbott, MP, Prime Minister 

Nigeria, His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan, President

Bahamas, Right Honourable Perry Christie, Prime Minister 

Niger, His Excellency Mahamadou, President of Niger

Bangladesh, His Excellency Mr Md. Abdul Hamid MD ABDUL, President 

Norway, His Royal Highness Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway  

Belgium, His Royal Highness King Philippe 

Pakistan, His Excellency Mr Mamnoon Hussain, President

Benin, His Excellency Boni Yayi, President  

Palestinian State, His Excellency Mahmoud Abbas, President

Botswana, His Excellency Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President 

Portugal, His Excellency, Anibal Cavaco Silva, President

Brazil, Her Excellency Dilma Rousseff, President

Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince

Burundi, His Excellency Pierre Nkurunziza, President 

Saharawi Republic, His Excellency Mr Mohamed Abdelaziz, President 

Canada, His Excellency Stephen Harper, Prime Minister 

Senegal, His Excellency Macky Sall, President

 

CHAD, His Excellency Mr Idriss Deby Itno, President 

Serbia, His Excellency Tomislav Nikolic, President

China, His Excellency Li Yuanchao, Vice President, 

Seychelles, His Excellency Mr James Alix MICHEL

COMORES, His Excellency Dr Ikiliou Dhoinine, President 

Spain, His Royal Highness Felipe de Borbon, The Prince of Asturias

Congo (Republic of the Congo ), His Excellency Mr Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President 

Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President

 

Sudan, His Excellency Bakri Hassan Salih, Vice President

Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo), His Excellency Joseph Kabila, President 

Suriname, His Excellency Desire Delano Bouterse, President

Cote d Ivoire, His Excellency President Allassane Ouattara, President 

Slovenia, His Excellency Pahor, President

Croatia, His Excellency Josipovic Ivo, President 

South Sudan, His Excellency General Salva Kir Mayardit, President

Cuba, His Excellency Raul Castro Ruz, President 

Sweden, His Royal Highness Victoria, Prime Minister

Denmark, His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Federick 

Switzerland, His Excellency Mr Ulrich Maurer, President

Djibouti, His Excellency Ismail Omar Guelleh, President 

Swaziland, His Excellency Dr Sibusiso Dlamini, Prime Minister

Ethiopia, His Excellency Ato Hailemariam  Dessalegn, Prime Minister 

Suriname, His Excellency Desire Delano Bouterse, President

Equatorial Guinea, His Excellency Mr Obiang Mbasogo, President 

Tanzania, His Excellency Dr Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President

France, His Excellency, Francois Hollande, President 

Timor-Leste, His Excellency Kay Rala Xanana, Prime Minister

Finland, His Excellency Sauli Niinisto, President 

Tunisia, His Excellency Mohamed Moncef Marzouki, President

Gabon, His Excellency Ali Bongo Ondimba, President 

Trinidad and Tobago, His Excellency Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister

 

The Gambia, His Excellency Prof Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh, President Sheikh 

Uganda, His Excellency Yoweri Kagota Museveni, President

Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President

United Arab Emirates, His Excellency Sheikh Nayahan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture - Special Envoy of the Emir

Germany, His Excellency Joachim Gauck, President

United Kingdom, His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Prime Minister David Cameron

 

United States of America, His Excellency Barack Obama, President

Guyana, His Excellency Donald Ramotar, President 

Venezuela, His Excellency Nicolas Maduro Moros, President

Guinea, His Excellency Prof Alpha Conde, President 

Zimbabwe, His Excellency Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President

India, His Excellency Pranab Mukherjee, President 

Zambia His Excellency Michael Sata, President

Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins, President 

Arab States League, His Excellency Amb Samir Hosny, Minister

Italy, His Excellency Enrico Letta, Prime Minister 

African Union Commission, Her Excellency Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson

Japan, His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Naruhito 

Commonwealth, His Excellency, Mr Kamalesh Sharma

Jamaica, Her Excellency, Portia Simpson Miller, Prime Minister 

European Council, His Excellency Mr Herman van Rompuy, President

Jordan, Her Royal Highness, Queen Rania Al Abdullah and His Excellency Prime Minister Dr Abdullah Ensour 

Mexico, His Excellency Enrique Pena Nieto President of Mexico

Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President 

Mauritius, His Excellency Dr the Honourable Navinchandra, Prime Minister

Korea (South), His Excellency Hongwon Chung, Prime Minister 

Mauritania, His Excellency Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz,  President 

Lebanon, His Excellency Mr Najib Mikati, Prime Minister 

Malawi, Her Excellency Joyce Banda, President

Lesotho, His Excellency, T Thabane, Prime Minister  

Grand Duchy of LUXEMBOURG, His Royal Highness Henry of Luxembourg, The Grand Duke

Liberia, Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President 

 

Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said: "Former President Mandela was an international icon and a symbol of hope for the oppressed and marginalised people across the globe. He will always be remembered worldwide for his values and dedication to the service of humanity in the fields of conflict resolution, reconciliation, the promotion and protection of the rights of children, gender equality and the uplifting of the poor."

At the initiative of South African Government and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the United Nations General Assembly, in 2010, proclaimed18 July, the birthday of Former President Mandela, as "Nelson Mandela International Day", to be observed each year.

Since 2010, millions of people from around the world have annually celebrated Madiba's birthday by dedicating their time in community service - their actions inspired by the work of this iconic South African leader.

Statement issued by Mr Clayson Monyela, spokesperson for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, December 9 2013

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