Nelson Mandela

=== Foreign affairs ===
Mandela expressed the view that "South Africa's future foreign relations [should] be based on our belief that human rights should be the core of international relations".{{sfnm|1a1=Barber|1y=2004|1p=89|2a1=Lodge|2y=2006|2p=214}} Following the South African example, Mandela encouraged other nations to resolve conflicts through diplomacy and reconciliation.{{sfn|Sampson|2011|p=555}} In September 1998, Mandela was appointed secretary-general of the [[Non-Aligned Movement]], who held their annual conference in Durban. He used the event to criticise the "narrow, chauvinistic interests" of the Israeli government in stalling negotiations to end the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]] and urged India and Pakistan to negotiate to end the [[Kashmir conflict]], for which he was criticised by both Israel and India.{{sfn|Sampson|2011|p=559}} Inspired by the region's economic boom, Mandela sought greater economic relations with East Asia, in particular with Malaysia, although this was prevented by the [[1997 Asian financial crisis]].<ref>{{harvnb|Sampson|2011|pp=560–561}}.</ref> He extended diplomatic recognition to the People's Republic of China (PRC), who were growing as an economic force, and initially also to Taiwan, who were already longstanding investors in the South African economy. However, under pressure from the PRC, he cut recognition of Taiwan in November 1996, and he paid an official visit to Beijing in May 1999.{{sfn|Barber|2004|pp=107–108}}

[[File:President Bill Clinton with Nelson Mandela.jpg|thumb|left|Mandela with US president [[Bill Clinton]]. Despite publicly criticising him on several occasions, Mandela liked Clinton, and personally supported him during [[Impeachment of Bill Clinton|his impeachment proceedings]].{{sfnm|1a1=Lodge|1y=2006|1p=216|2a1=Sampson|2y=2011|2pp=561–567}}]]

Mandela attracted controversy for his close relationship with Indonesian president Suharto, whose regime was responsible for mass human rights abuses, although on a July 1997 visit to Indonesia he privately urged Suharto to withdraw from the [[Indonesian occupation of East Timor|occupation of East Timor]].{{sfnm|1a1=Barber|1y=2004|1pp=104–105|2a1=Sampson|2y=2011|2p=560}} He also faced similar criticism from the West for his government's trade links to Syria, Cuba and Libya{{sfn|Lodge|2006|p=214}} and for his personal friendships with Castro and Gaddafi.{{sfn|Sampson|2011|pp=562–563}} Castro visited South Africa in 1998 to widespread popular acclaim, and Mandela met Gaddafi in Libya to award him the [[Order of Good Hope]].{{sfn|Sampson|2011|pp=562–563}} When Western governments and media criticised these visits, Mandela lambasted such criticism as having racist undertones,{{sfn|Sampson|2011|p=564}} and stated that "the enemies of countries in the West are not our enemies."{{sfn|Lodge|2006|p=214}} Mandela hoped to resolve the long-running dispute between Libya and the United States and Britain over bringing to trial the two Libyans, [[Abdelbaset al-Megrahi]] and [[Lamin Khalifah Fhimah]], who were indicted in November 1991 and accused of sabotaging [[Pan Am Flight 103]]. Mandela proposed that they be tried in a third country, which was agreed to by all parties; governed by [[Scots law]], the trial was held at [[Camp Zeist, Netherlands|Camp Zeist]] in the Netherlands in April 1999, and found one of the two men guilty.{{sfnm|1a1=Barber|1y=2004|1p=144|2a1=Lodge|2y=2006|2pp=215–216|3a1=Sampson|3y=2011|3pp=563–564}}<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/1144147.stm |title=Analysis: Lockerbie's long road |publisher=BBC |access-date=26 May 2008 |date=31 January 2001 |archive-date=9 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130709171256/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1144147.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Mandela echoed Mbeki's calls for an "[[African Renaissance]]", and he was greatly concerned with issues on the continent.{{sfnm|1a1=Barber|1y=2004|1pp=124–125|2a1=Sampson|2y=2011|2pp=556–557}} He took a [[soft power|soft diplomatic]] approach to removing [[Sani Abacha]]'s military junta in Nigeria but later became a leading figure in calling for sanctions when Abacha's regime increased human rights violations.{{sfnm|1a1=Barber|1y=2004|1pp=108–110|2a1=Lodge|2y=2006|2p=215|3a1=Sampson|3y=2011|3pp=556–557}} In 1996, he was appointed chairman of the [[Southern African Development Community]] (SADC) and initiated unsuccessful negotiations to end the [[First Congo War]] in [[Zaire]].{{sfnm|1a1=Barber|1y=2004|1pp=176–177|2a1=Lodge|2y=2006|2p=216|3a1=Sampson|3y=2011|3p=558}} He also played a key role as a mediator in the ethnic conflict between [[Tutsi]] and [[Hutu]] political groups in the [[Burundian Civil War]], helping to initiate a settlement which brought increased stability to the country but did not end the ethnic violence.{{sfn|Lodge|2006|pp=217–218}} In [[South African intervention in Lesotho|South Africa's first post-apartheid military operation]], troops were ordered into Lesotho in September 1998 to protect the government of Prime Minister [[Pakalitha Mosisili]] after a disputed election had prompted opposition uprisings. The action was not authorised by Mandela himself, who was out of the country at the time, but by Buthelezi, who was serving as acting president during Mandela's absence,{{sfnm|1a1=Barber|1y=2004|1pp=111–113|2a1=Sampson|2y=2011|2pp=558–559}} with the approval of Mandela and Mbeki.<ref name="mgMandela2018Remembering">{{cite web| url = https://mg.co.za/article/2018-09-19-mandela-and-military-force-its-use-is-determined-by-the-situation/| title = Remembering the moment that SA soldiers marched into Lesotho - The Mail & Guardian| date = 19 September 2018| access-date = 11 November 2022| archive-date = 11 November 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20221111050954/https://mg.co.za/article/2018-09-19-mandela-and-military-force-its-use-is-determined-by-the-situation/| url-status = live}}</ref>