Europe 1 with AFP 6:26 p.m., December 26, 2021

Emmanuel Macron, Barack Obama, the Dalai Lama… Far beyond the borders of the "rainbow nation", heads of state and other prominent public and political figures had a word on Sunday in memory of the South African Archbishop.

South Africa is in mourning, but the whole world salutes the memory of Desmond Tutu. The South African Anglican Archbishop, icon of the struggle against apartheid and Nobel Peace Prize winner, passed away at the age of 90. 

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed "his deep sadness" at the announcement, paying tribute to an "unrivaled patriot", "a man of extraordinary intelligence, integrity and invincible against the forces of apartheid "but" also tender and vulnerable in its compassion for those who had suffered (...) under apartheid, and for the oppressed and oppressors all over the world ".

For its part, the Mandela Foundation called his loss "immeasurable": "He was an extraordinary human being. A thinker. A leader. A shepherd."

Far beyond the borders of the "rainbow nation", heads of state and other prominent public and political figures had a word on Sunday for Desmond Tutu.

A "mentor" and "an inspiration" for many leaders

The "fight" of Desmond Tutu "for the end of apartheid and South African reconciliation will remain in our memories", greeted French President Emmanuel Macron in a tweet.

The Archbishop "dedicated his life to human rights and the equality of peoples", he stressed. 

Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1984, Desmond Tutu dedicated his life to human rights and the equality of peoples.


His fight for the end of apartheid and South African reconciliation will be remembered.

- Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 26, 2021

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson meanwhile said on Twitter "deeply saddened".

"He was an essential figure in the struggle against apartheid and in the struggle for the creation of a new South Africa. We will remember him for his spiritual leadership and his irrepressible good humor," he said. added, while Queen Elizabeth II said she was "deeply saddened", praising her "tireless" defense of human rights as well as her "friendliness and humor".

Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, paid tribute to "a man who gave his life to freedom with a deep commitment to human dignity".

It's with sadness that I have learned of archbishop Tutu's passing



A man who gave his life to freedom with a deep commitment to human dignity.



A giant who stood up against apartheid.



You will be deeply missed.



My sympathies to his family, the people of and @CyrilRamaphosa

- Charles Michel (@eucopresident) December 26, 2021

If, according to the South African president, the death of Desmond Tutu "is a new chapter of mourning in our nation's farewell to a generation of exceptional South Africans who bequeathed us a liberated South Africa", the aura of the priest radiated throughout the African continent.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta thus estimated that "the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu is a blow not only for the Republic of South Africa (...) but also for the entire African continent, where he is deeply respected and celebrated as a peacemaker. "Archbishop Tutu inspired a generation of African leaders who adopted his non-violent approaches in the liberation struggle," he said.

Humanity ... and a lot of humor 

Those who worked with him did not fail to underline the commitment but also the humor of Desmond Tutu.

Like former US President Barack Obama: he was "a mentor, friend and moral compass to me and so many others."

"A universal spirit", anxious to defend justice in his country and in the world.

"He has never lost his playful sense of humor or his drive to find humanity in his opponents and [my wife] Michelle and I will be sorely missed," he tweeted.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a mentor, a friend, and a moral compass for me and so many others.

A universal spirit, Archbishop Tutu was grounded in the struggle for liberation and justice in his own country, but also concerned with injustice everywhere.

pic.twitter.com/qiiwtw8a5B

- Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 26, 2021

Members of the "Sages" group, created in 2007 by Nelson Mandela, which brings together public figures working on major global issues, "lost a dear friend, whose infectious laughter and mischievous sense of humor delighted them all and charmed ", reacted in a statement the group, which counts in its ranks the former secretary general of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon or the former American president Jimmy Carter.

For them, his "commitment to peace, love and equality" will continue "to inspire future generations".