World leaders in Mandela memorial

  • 11 years ago
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Leaders arrived at Soweto's Soccer City Stadium on Tuesday (December 10) for a national memorial service that will honour anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela.

The memorial event will pay tribute to a life of imprisonment and political struggle that ended in triumph and consecrated Mandela as a global symbol of integrity and forgiveness.

The fact that the visiting leaders - more than 90 are expected - include some from nations still locked in antagonism, such as Cuba and the United States, adds resonance to the homage being held at the gigantic bowl-shaped stadium, the venue of the 2010 World Cup final.

Among the attendees were U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, his predecessor Kofi Annan, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and the last president of apartheid South Africa , F.W. De Klerk.

Also present were Cuban President Raul Castro, French President Francois Hollande who arrived with

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