Obama Pays Tribute to Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela passed away Thursday at the age of 95. President Obama made a statement from the White House shortly after South African President Zuma confirmed Mandela's death.

"He achieved more than could be expected of any man," Obama said in his statement Thursday evening. "Today he has gone home [...] He no longer belongs us; he belongs to the ages."


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President Obama also said he was one of the millions who drew inspiration from Mandela's life, noting that his very first political action was a protest against apartheid.

"I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela set," he said. "So as long as I live, I will do what I can to learn from him."

Watch Obama's statement in full below.