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List of dignitaries at the memorial service of Nelson Mandela

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List of dignitaries at the memorial service of Nelson Mandela

This is a list of dignitaries at the state memorial service of Nelson Mandela. 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 (91).

Contents

Other guests

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

  • Bono, Irish U2 vocalist and activist
  • Richard Branson, British businessman
  • Naomi Campbell, British model
  • Hillary Clinton, former American Secretary of State
  • Peter Gabriel, British singer
  • Bill Gates, American businessman
  • Annie Lennox, British singer-songwriter
  • Francois Pienaar, South African rugby player
  • Charlize Theron, South African-American actress
  • Desmond Tutu, South African Anglican Archbishop
  • Oprah Winfrey, American television personality and actress

    • Non-attendance

  •  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.
  •  Israel: Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu did not attend the memorial service citing financial and security reasons.
  •  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.
  •  Thailand: Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra also 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.
  •   The Vatican: Pope Francis was sent an invitation to attend either the memorial or state funeral but did not respond to either invitation.

    • References

    List of dignitaries at the memorial service of Nelson Mandela Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA