List_of_dignitaries_at_the_memorial_service_of_Nelson_Mandela

List of dignitaries at the memorial service of Nelson Mandela

List of dignitaries at the memorial service of Nelson Mandela

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This is a list of dignitaries at the state memorial service of Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa.[1] Mandela died on 5 December 2013. Many heads of state and government attended the state memorial service on Tuesday, 10 December 2013 at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. The memorial service was one of the largest gatherings of world leaders.[2] It was also the largest funeral in the history of South Africa, and the African continent itself.

Two UN Secretary-Generals, the presidents of the European Council and European Commission, two French presidents, four United States presidents and four UK prime ministers attended the funeral service. In total, more than 500 VIP dignitaries from 19 supranational organizations and approximately 190 countries had arrived for this event. Some of the dignitaries later attended the burial ceremony on 15 December 2013 at Mandela's hometown, Qunu.

This memorial event was one of the largest in the world in terms of foreign leaders, along with the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005 and the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on 19 September 2022.

Dignitaries

Heads of state and government

South African President Jacob Zuma waiting to take the stage at the FNB Stadium
Barack and Michelle Obama seated next to Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt
President Yayi Boni of Benin greeting other dignitaries
Crowd at the stadium
Crowd at the stadium
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Other royalty

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Government representatives

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International organisations

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Former heads of state / government

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Other guests

Bono and his wife Ali Hewson greet President Obama at the memorial service

This section is a partial list of notable guests who attended the memorial service.

Non-attendance

  •  Germany: Former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who frequently attended funerals of world leaders during his term of office, did not attend. Germany's former leaders did not usually attend world leaders' funerals.
  •  Iran: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was expected to attend the service but had to cancel his visit due to the visit of his Russian counterpart in Tehran.[24]
  •  Israel: Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu did not attend the memorial service citing financial and security reasons.[25]
  •  Republic of China (Taiwan): The ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to not send a delegation because of the time constraint. Instead, Foreign Minister David Lin personally visited the Liaison Office of South Africa to convey condolences over the death of Mandela. In addition, the Representative of the ROC to South Africa visited the Union Buildings in Pretoria to view the remains of Mandela and pay respects on behalf of the ROC government.[26]
  •  Thailand: Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was expected to attend but declined due to ongoing protests against her government.
  •  Tibet: The 14th Dalai Lama was expected to attend the service but was denied a visa by the South African government.[27]
  •  The Vatican: Pope Francis was sent an invitation to attend either the memorial or state funeral.[27] He did not attend either because it was against the tradition that Popes do not usually attend funerals of world leaders.
  •  Vietnam: President Trương Tấn Sang did not attend the service due to the time constraint. The country was represented by Đào Việt Trung, Chairman of the Presidential Office.

References

  1. Charlene was a native citizen of South Africa before her marriage to Prince Albert II.
  1. "Confirmation of foreign Heads of State and Government attending the memorial services or funeral". South Africa Government Online. 9 December 2013. Archived from the original on 10 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  2. "About 70 Heads of State to attend Mandela's memorial service". sanews.gov.za. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  3. "Afghan president leaves for South Africa to attend Mandela's memorial service – Xinhua | English.news.cn". Big5.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  4. "Botswana president to attend memorial service for Mandela in South Africa – Xinhua | English.news.cn". News.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  5. 10 December 2013. "Gambia: President Jammeh to Attend Mandela's Memorial Service". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 10 December 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. "Mukherjee to attend Mandela's memorial service in Johannesburg today". Newstrackindia.com. 5 December 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  7. Kronprinsen og Solberg på Mandela-minneseremoni TV2. Retrieved 9 December 2013 (in Norwegian)
  8. "Chinese VP to attend Mandela's funeral". China Daily. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  9. "Singapore deputy PM to attend state memorial service for Nelson Mandela – Xinhua | English.news.cn". News.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  10. EFE (8 December 2013). "Comisión colombiana parte a Sudáfrica para asistir a funeral de Nelson Mandela" (in Spanish). El Espectador. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  11. Uimonen, Paula (1 January 2015). "Mourning Mandela: sacred drama and digital visuality in Cape Town". Journal of Aesthetics & Culture. 7 (1): 28178. doi:10.3402/jac.v7.28178. ISSN 2000-4214. S2CID 162905653.
  12. "Netanyahu Won't Attend Mandela Memorial". www.israelnationalnews.com. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  13. "No invite needed for Mandela's funeral – the China Post". Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  14. Nelson Mandela memorial guest list Daily Telegraph, 10 December 2013.

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