Reactions to Desmond Tutu's death have immediately rained down from almost every corner of the world. The activist and famous Anglican Archbishop of South Africa, who has become a symbol of the fight against racism on which
apartheid
was based
,
died at the age of 90 on the morning of this Sunday. The official announcement was made by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has called him an "unparalleled patriot" and someone of "extraordinary intelligence." His disappearance, he added, "marks a new chapter in our nation's farewell to a generation of exceptional Africans who have left us a liberated South Africa."
He is “a man who has given his life to freedom with a deep commitment to human dignity.
A giant that rose up against apartheid, ”said Charles Michel, President of the European Council.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed his deep sadness on Twitter and highlighted his figure as "essential in the fight against
apartheid
."
His fight for "reconciliation" will remain in "our memory" after his fight for human rights and equality, stressed French President Emmanuel Macron.
Former US President Barack Obama referred to him as "a mentor, a friend, and a moral compass," someone not only concerned about injustice in his own country but everywhere.
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Photogallery: The Life of Desmond Tutu
From the Vatican, Pope Francis sent a telegram in which he praised the Nobel Peace Prize winner for his "service of the Gospel, by promoting racial equality and reconciliation in his South Africa." The spiritual leader of the Anglican Church and Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Selby, stressed that “in the eyes of Desmod Tutu, we have the love of Jesus. In his voice, the compassion of Jesus. In his laughter, the happiness of Jesus. He was good and brave ”. The Dalai Lama, a friend of the deceased, commented for his part that Tutu was "a great man who has had a life full of meaning" and "entirely at the service of his brothers and sisters."
Several African leaders, such as Namibian President Hage Geingob or his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta, also sent messages of condolences and described Tutu as a "hero" and a "symbol of resistance in the face of adversity" and of " optimism ”in the face of“ hopelessness ”, reports the Efe agency.
"His contribution to face injustice, locally and globally, is only equaled by the depth of his thought," said Nelson Mandela Foundation, the former South African president who also became an icon in the fight against violence. racism in there.
"A true South African giant has left us today, but his spirit will remain in our continued effort to build a united, successful South Africa without racism for all," said John Steenhuysen, leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance formation.
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