World leaders have reacted to the death of former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, remembering him as a \u201cliberation hero\u201d while acknowledging his single-minded style of governance.<\/p>\n
Mr Mugabe, who was the oldest head of state before he was toppled in 2017, died aged 95 on Friday in a Singapore hospital, his family said.<\/p>\n
A cause of death was not disclosed.<\/p>\n
His near 40-year leadership of the former British colony was marked with bloodshed, persecution of political opponents and wide-scale vote-rigging.<\/p>\n
\u2018Empowerment\u2019
\nMany African leaders reflected on his contribution in steering the country \u2013 then-known as Rhodesia \u2013 from the clutches of colonial rule to independence in April 1980.<\/p>\n
Mr Mugabe\u2019s successor Emmerson Mnangagwa led the condolences, describing him as an \u201cicon of liberation who dedicated his life to the emancipation and empowerment of his people\u201d.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201c[Mr Mugabe\u2019s] contribution to the history of our nation and continent will never be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said: \u201cWe will remember former President Mugabe as a man of courage who was never afraid to fight for what he believed in even when it was not popular.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018A towering leader\u2019
\nCyril Ramphosa, the recently-elected president of South Africa, described Mr Mugabe as an \u201coutstanding leader on the African continent\u201d.<\/p>\n
He told reporters: \u201cWe remember him as a towering leader of a struggle for independence of the people of Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe contributed to the freedom of the people of South Africa.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce they attained their own independence, they established a free and independent Zimbabwe to be one of the frontline states where we, as the African Nation of Congress (ANC), were able to find refuge and they supported our struggle.<\/p>\n
Russian relations
\nRussian President Vladimir Putin hailed Mr Mugabe\u2019s \u201cgreat personal contribution\u201d to Zimbabwe\u2019s independence.<\/p>\n
He also said Mr Mugabe as a proponent of \u201cfriendly relations\u201d with the country.<\/p>\n
Mr Putin said in a statement: \u201cMany important dates in Zimbabwe\u2019s modern history are tied to the name of Robert Mugabe.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe made a great personal contribution to the battle for your country\u2019s independence, to the building of Zimbabwean state institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Legacy\u2019
\nGeng Shuang, China\u2019s foreign ministry spokesperson said: \u201cMugabe was an outstanding national liberation movement leader and politician of Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n
\u201cThroughout his life, he has firmly defended the sovereignty of his country, opposed foreign interference, and actively promoted China-Zimbabwe and China-Africa friendship and cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n
While US President Donald Trump is yet to comment directly on Mr Mugabe\u2019s death, the US Embassy in Harare paid tribute in a statement on social media.<\/p>\n
It said: \u201cThe United States extends its condolences to the Mugabe family and the people of Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe join the world in reflecting on his legacy in securing Zimbabwe\u2019s independence.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
World leaders have reacted to the death of former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, remembering him as a \u201cliberation hero\u201d while acknowledging his single-minded style of governance. Mr Mugabe, who was the oldest head of state before he was toppled in 2017, died aged 95 on Friday in a Singapore hospital, his family said. A cause […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":8644,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,12],"tags":[70,276,30],"class_list":{"0":"post-13315","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-policy","9":"tag-death","10":"tag-emmerson-mnangawa","11":"tag-robert-mugabe"},"yoast_head":"\n