World leaders from across the globe braved the South African rain on Tuesday morning as they paid their respects to the nation’s first black president and iconic antiapartheid crusader Nelson Mandela in a state memorial service in Johannesburg.
U.S. President Barack Obama, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, British Prime Minister David Cameron, retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu and French President François Hollande appeared at the memorial service in a show of solidarity for the late South African president.
“South Africa, the world thanks you for sharing Mandela with us,” Obama said. “His struggle was your struggle. His triumph was your triumph. Madiba would emerge as the last great liberator of the 21st century.”
In a surprisingly controversial moment at the service, Obama briefly greeted and shook hands with Cuban President Raul Castro. The unplanned gesture between the heads of two rival nations garnered some outrage online, though it lasted only a few moments.
U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Cuban President Raul Castro at Mandela's memorial serviceReutersIndian President Pranab Mukherjee speaks at Mandela's memorial serviceReutersChinese Vice-President Li Yuanchao speaks at Mandela's memorial serviceReutersSouth African President Jacob Zuma speaks at Mandela's memorial service ReutersCuban President Raul Castro speaks during Mandela's memorial serviceReutersUnited Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks at Mandela's memorial serviceReutersBrazilian President Dilma Rousseff speaks at Mandela's memorial serviceReutersFormer Archbishop Desmond Tutu speaks at Mandela's memorial serviceReutersU.S. President Barack Obama speaks with French President Francois Hollande at Mandela's memorial serviceReutersU.S. President Barack Obama speaks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at Mandela's memorial serviceReutersFormer U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahimi at Mandela's funeral serviceReutersBritish Prime Minister David Cameron at Mandela's memorial serviceReutersMandla Mandela the oldest grandson of Nelson Mandela, attends Mandela's memorial serviceReutersNigerian President Goodluck Jonathan attends Mandela's memorial serviceReutersFormer South African President F.W. De Klerk, who shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela in 1993, attends Mandela's memorial serviceReuters
