List of dignitaries at the memorial service of Nelson Mandela

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 secretaries-general, 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.

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
Country Title Dignitary
South AfricaPresidentJacob Zuma[3]
AfghanistanPresidentHamid Karzai[4]
AlbaniaPrime MinisterSali Berisha
AndorraPrime MinisterAntoni Marti
Antigua and BarbudaPrime MinisterBaldwin Spencer
AustraliaPrime MinisterTony Abbott[5]
AustriaChancellorWerner Faymann
BahamasPrime MinisterPerry Christie[6]
BangladeshPresidentAbdul Hamid[7]
BelgiumKingPhilippe[8]
Prime MinisterElio Di Rupo[8]
BelizePrime MinisterDean Barrow
BeninPresidentYayi Boni[9]
BotswanaPresidentIan Khama[10]
BrazilPresidentDilma Rousseff[7]
BurundiPresidentPierre Nkurunziza[9]
CanadaPrime MinisterStephen Harper[7]
ChadPresidentIdriss Déby[9]
ChilePresidentSebastián Piñera
ComorosPresidentIkililou Dhoinine[9]
Democratic Republic of CongoPresidentJoseph Kabila[9]
Republic of the CongoPresidentDenis Sassou Nguesso
CroatiaPresidentIvo Josipović[9]
CubaPresidentRaúl Castro[3]
DenmarkPrime MinisterHelle Thorning-Schmidt[7]
DjiboutiPresidentIsmaïl Omar Guelleh[9]
DominicaPresidentEliud Williams
Dominican RepublicPresidentDanilo Medina
East TimorPrime MinisterXanana Gusmão[9]
Equatorial GuineaPresidentTeodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo[9]
EthiopiaPrime MinisterHailemariam Desalegn[9]
FinlandPresidentSauli Niinistö[9]
France/ AndorraPresident/Co-PrinceFrançois Hollande[3]
GabonPresidentAli Bongo Ondimba[9]
The GambiaPresidentYahya Jammeh[11]
GermanyPresidentJoachim Gauck[7]
GhanaPresidentJohn Dramani Mahama[9]
GreecePrime MinisterAntonis Samaras
GrenadaPrime MinisterKeith Mitchell
GuineaPresidentAlpha Condé[9]
GuyanaPresidentDonald Ramotar[9]
HaitiPresidentMichel Martelly[9]
Prime MinisterLaurent Lamothe[9]
Holy SeePrime MinisterAngelo Sodano
HungaryPrime MinisterViktor Orbán
IcelandPresidentÓlafur Ragnar Grímsson
IndiaPresidentPranab Mukherjee[12]
IraqPresidentJalal Talabani
IrelandPresidentMichael D. Higgins[13]
ItalyPrime MinisterEnrico Letta[9]
Ivory CoastPresidentAlassane Ouattara[9]
JamaicaPrime MinisterPortia Simpson-Miller[9]
JordanPrime MinisterAbdullah Ensour[9]
KenyaPresidentUhuru Kenyatta[9]
LatviaPresidentAndris Bērziņš
LebanonPrime MinisterNajib Mikati[9]
LesothoPrime MinisterTom Thabane[9]
KingKing Letsie III
LiberiaPresidentEllen Johnson Sirleaf[9]
LiechtensteinPrime MinisterAdrian Hasler
LuxembourgGrand DukeHenri
MadagascarPresidentAndry Rajoelina
MalawiPresidentJoyce Banda[9]
MaliPresidentIbrahim Boubacar Keita
MaltaPrime MinisterJoseph Muscat
MauritaniaPresidentMohamed Ould Abdel Aziz[9]
MauritiusPrime MinisterNavin Ramgoolam
MexicoPresidentEnrique Peña Nieto[9]
MonacoSovereign PrinceAlbert II
MontenegroPresidentFilip Vujanovic
MozambiquePresidentArmando Guebuza[9]
NamibiaPresidentHifikepunye Pohamba[7]
NetherlandsKingWillem-Alexander[7]
Prime MinisterMark Rutte
New ZealandPrime MinisterJohn Key
NigerPresidentMahamadou Issoufou[9]
NigeriaPresidentGoodluck Jonathan[9]
NorwayPrime MinisterErna Solberg[14]
PakistanPresidentMamnoon Hussain[9]
State of PalestinePresidentMahmoud Abbas[9]
PolandPrime MinisterDonald Tusk
PortugalPresidentAníbal Cavaco Silva[9]
RomaniaPrime MinisterVictor Ponta[15]
RwandaPresidentPaul Kagame
Sahrawi RepublicPresidentMohammed Abdelaziz
Saint Kitts and NevisPrime MinisterDenzil Douglas
Saint LuciaPrime MinisterKenny Anthony
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesPrime MinisterRalph Gonsalves
SenegalPresidentMacky Sall[9]
SerbiaPresidentTomislav Nikolić[9]
SeychellesPresidentJames Michel[9]
Sierra LeonePresidentErnest Bai Koroma
SlovakiaPresidentIvan Gasparovic
SloveniaPresidentBorut Pahor[9]
SomaliaPresidentHassan Sheikh Mohamud[citation needed]
South KoreaPrime MinisterJung Hong-won[9]
South SudanPresidentSalva Kiir Mayardit[9]
SpainPrime MinisterMariano Rajoy[16]
Sri LankaPresidentMahinda Rajapaksa[7]
SurinamePresidentDési Bouterse[9]
SwazilandPrime MinisterSibusiso Dlamini[9]
SwedenPrime MinisterFredrik Reinfeldt[9]
 SwitzerlandPresidentUeli Maurer[9]
SyriaPresidentBashar al-Assad
TanzaniaPresidentJakaya Kikwete[9]
TogoPresidentFaure Gnassingbe
Trinidad and TobagoPrime MinisterKamla Persad-Bissessar[9]
TunisiaPresidentMoncef Marzouki[9]
UgandaPresidentYoweri Museveni[9]
United KingdomPrime MinisterDavid Cameron[3]
United StatesPresidentBarack Obama[17]
UruguayPresidentJosé Mujica
VenezuelaPresidentNicolás Maduro[9]
VanuatuPrime MinisterHam Lini
ZambiaPresidentMichael Sata[9]
ZimbabwePresidentRobert Mugabe[9]

Other royalty

Country Title Dignitary
BelgiumQueenMathilde
DenmarkCrown PrinceFrederik[9]
JapanCrown PrinceNaruhito[9]
JordanQueen ConsortRania[9]
MonacoSouth Africa MonacoPrincess ConsortCharlene[a]
MoroccoPrinceMoulay Rachid[9]
NorwayCrown PrinceHaakon[7]
Saudi ArabiaPrinceMuqrin[9]
SpainCrown PrinceFelipe VI[7]
SwedenCrown PrincessVictoria[9]
United KingdomPrince of WalesCharles[7]
United KingdomDuke of CambridgePrince William[7]
United KingdomPrinceHarry

Government representatives

Country Title Dignitary
South AfricaDeputy PresidentKgalema Motlanthe
AlgeriaSpeaker of the Council of the NationAbdelkader Bensalah
AngolaVice-presidentManuel Vicente[9]
Antigua and BarbudaHigh CommissionerCarl Ruberts
AmbassadorRobert Murdoch
ArgentinaActing PresidentAmado Boudou[9]
BahamasMinister of Foreign AffairsFred Mitchell[6]
Minister of TourismObie Wilchcombe[6]
BarbadosForeign MinisterMaxine McClean
BelarusVice Chairman of the House of RepresentativesViktor Guminsky[18]
British Virgin IslandsForeign MinisterOrlando Smith
BulgariaDeputy Prime MinisterAngel Velichkov
CanadaNova Scotia PremierStephen McNeil
Premier of the YukonDarrell Pasloski
Alberta PremierAlison Redford
NDP LeaderTom Mulcair
Foreign MinisterJohn Baird
Central African RepublicDeputy Prime MinisterSamuel Rangba
ChinaVice-presidentLi Yuanchao[19]
ColombiaVice-presidentAngelino Garzón
CubaForeign MinisterBruno Rodriguez
Czech RepublicMinister of Foreign AffairsJan Kohout[7]
EcuadorForeign MinisterRicardo Patiño
EgyptChairman of the National Council for Human RightsMohammed Faiq[20]
El SalvadorMinister of Foreign AffairsJaime Miranda[9]
EstoniaForeign MinisterUrmas Paet[21]
EthiopiaState MinisterSurafiel Mhreteab Abed
FranceMinister of Foreign and European AffairsLaurent Fabius[22]
Minister of JusticeChristiane Taubira
GreeceMinister of National DefenceDimitris Avramopoulos
Holy SeePresident of the Pontifical Council for Justice and PeacePeter Turkson[7]
HungaryDeputy Prime MinisterZsolt Semjén
IndiaChairperson of the National Advisory CouncilSonia Gandhi[23]
Minister of Commerce and IndustryAnand Sharma
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj
IranVice PresidentMohammad Shariatmadari[20]
IrelandTánaisteEamon Gilmore[13]
IsraelPresident of the KnessetYuli-Yoel Edelstein[9]
Knesset representatives5 Speakers
ItalyPresident of the Chamber of DeputiesLaura Boldrini
LesothoForeign MinisterMohlabi Tsekoa
LithuaniaGovernment RepresentativeGitanas Nausėda
MalawiForeign MinisterEphraim Chiume
MalaysiaMinister of the Federal TerritoriesTengku Adnan Tengku Mansor[24]
Minister of Energy, Green Technology and WaterMaximus Ongkili[9]
  NepalMinister of Foreign AffairsMadhav Prasad Ghimire[7]
NetherlandsForeign MinisterFrans Timmermans[7]
NicaraguaVice-presidentMoises Omar Halleslevens Acevedo
PolandForeign MinisterRadosław Sikorski[9]
PeruVice-presidentMarisol Espinoza[citation needed]
PhilippinesVice-presidentJejomar Binay[25]
RussiaChairwoman of the Federation CouncilValentina Matviyenko
SingaporeDeputy Prime MinisterTharman Shanmugaratnam[26]
SlovakiaMinister of Foreign AffairsMiroslav Lajčák[7]
SudanVice PresidentBakri Hassan Saleh[9]
TanzaniaForeign MinisterBernard Membe
Representative from Chama Cha MapinduziVicky Swai
TurkeyDeputy Prime MinisterBeşir Atalay[27]
UkraineForeign MinisterLeonid Kozhara
United Arab EmiratesMinister of CultureNahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan
United KingdomDeputy Prime MinisterNick Clegg[28]
Leader of the OppositionEd Miliband
Mayor of LondonBoris Johnson
Speaker of the House of CommonsJohn Bercow
Health SecretaryJeremy Hunt
United StatesFirst LadyMichelle Obama[7]
Attorney GeneralEric Holder
National Security AdvisorSusan Rice[17]
Senator from TexasTed Cruz
United States Congress representatives26 members of Congress
United States Virgin IslandsDeputy MinisterDonna Christian Christensen
UruguayMinister of Foreign RelationsLuis Almagro[9]
VietnamChairman of the Presidential OfficeĐào Việt Trung
ZambiaVice-presidentGuy Scott
Foreign MinisterWilbur Simuusa
ZimbabweDeputy Prime MinisterSimbarashe Mumbengegwi

International organisations

Organisation Title Dignitary
Arab LeaguePresidentSamir Hosny
African UnionChairperson of the AU CommissionNkosazana Dlamini-Zuma[7]
Commonwealth of NationsSecretary-GeneralKamalesh Sharma
Council of EuropeSecretary GeneralThorbjorn Jagland
European Union European CouncilPresidentHerman Van Rompuy[7]
European UnionPresident of the European CommissionJosé Manuel Barroso[7]
European UnionPresident of ParliamentMartin Schultz
European UnionHead of DelegationRoeland van der Geer
FAOPresidentJosé Graziano da Silva
ILOPresidentGuy Ryder
International Monetary FundManaging DirectorChristine Lagarde
International Organization for MigrationDirector GeneralWilliam Lacy Swing
NATOSecretary GeneralAnders Fogh Rasmussen
OECDSecretary GeneralJosé Ángel Gurría
OSCESecretary GeneralLamberto Zannier
Southern African Development CommunitySecretary GeneralStergomena Tax
United NationsSecretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon[3]
United NationsHuman Rights CommissionerNavi Pillay[9]
UNESCODirector generalIrina Bokova
United Nations Office on Drugs and CrimePresidentYuri Fedotov
World Food ProgrammePresidentErtharin Cousin
World BankPresidentJim Yong Kim

Former heads of state / government

Country / Org Title Dignitary
South AfricaState President / 1st Deputy PresidentFrederik Willem De Klerk[3]
2nd PresidentThabo Mbeki[3]
3rd PresidentKgalema Motlanthe
AustraliaFormer Prime MinisterPaul Keating
MalaysiaFormer Prime MinisterMahathir Mohamad
Brazil31st PresidentJosé Sarney
32nd PresidentFernando Collor de Mello
34th PresidentFernando Henrique Cardoso
35th PresidentLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva[7]
Canada16th Prime MinisterJoe Clark
18th Prime MinisterBrian Mulroney
19th Prime MinisterKim Campbell
20th Prime MinisterJean Chrétien
26th Governor GeneralAdrienne Clarkson
27th Governor GeneralMichaëlle Jean
Colombia30th PresidentAndrés Pastrana[29]
Finland10th PresidentMartti Ahtisaari[7]
40th Prime MinisterMatti Vanhanen
France23rd PresidentNicolas Sarkozy[7]
164th Prime MinisterAlain Juppé
165th Prime MinisterLionel Jospin
Germany13th PresidentHorst Köhler
Ghana1st President (Fourth Republic)Jerry Rawlings
Iran5th PresidentMohammad Khatami
Ireland7th PresidentMary Robinson[13]
Former TaoiseachBertie Ahern
ItalyFormer Prime MinisterSilvio Berlusconi
Japan58th Prime MinisterYasuo Fukuda[9]
Namibia1st PresidentSam Nujoma
New Zealand35th Prime MinisterJim Bolger
Nigeria1st President (Fourth Republic)Olusegun Obasanjo
11th Vice PresidentAtiku Abubakar
Norway27th Prime MinisterJens Stoltenberg
Poland2nd PresidentLech Wałęsa[9]
Romania3rd PresidentEmil Constantinescu
RussiaFormer Soviet PresidentMikhail Gorbachev
United Kingdomformer Prime MinisterJohn Major[3]
former Prime MinisterTony Blair
former Prime MinisterGordon Brown
United States39th PresidentJimmy Carter[17]
42nd PresidentBill Clinton[17]
43rd PresidentGeorge W. Bush[17]
TanzaniaFormer Vice PresidentAli Mohamed Shein
Zambia1st PresidentKenneth Kaunda
African UnionFormer PresidentAlpha Oumar Konare
United Nations7th Secretary GeneralKofi Annan[7]

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

References

Related Articles

Wikiwand AI