Former President, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, has described the release of former South African President Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990 as one of the most significant moments of the 20th Century.
In a statement from his office to mark the 20th anniversary of Mandela's release on Thursday, former President Rawlings said: "This moment not only gave humanity hope, but showed the world what true statesmanship is all about.
"After years of oppression by the apartheid regime and 27 years in jail Nelson Mandela walked out with a message of peace and reconciliation," the former President said.
He called on all people across the world to never forget that momentous historic day, and to celebrate it as a day signalling peace, prosperity and equality.
"Political leaders across the globe and particularly in Africa must always take a cue from the sense of perseverance of Mandela and his desire for peace, development and reconciliation in spite of the pain he and his kinsmen endured for decades.
"For the continent to develop we must do away with the politics of retribution and nepotism and work to unite our people for development.
Mandela was at the forefront of South Africa's campaign to host the World Cup. Today at age 91 he must be a proud man to see the world's biggest
sporting and social event arrive on the continent for the first time in history."
President Rawlings said: "Nelson Mandela, we salute you on this 20th celebration of your release from prison, and wish you good health and
happiness in the days to come."
Mr Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918. He joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944 and was engaged in resistance against the ruling National Party's apartheid policies after 1948.
On June 12, 1964, several ANC members, including Mandela, were sentenced to life imprisonment. From 1964 to 1982, he was incarcerated at Robben Island Prison, off Cape Town. Thereafter, he was at Pollsmoor Prison, nearby on the mainland.
During his years in prison, Nelson Mandela's reputation grew steadily. He was widely accepted as the most significant black leader in South Africa and became a potent symbol of resistance as the anti-apartheid movement gathered strength. He consistently refused to compromise his political position to obtain his freedom.
After his release, he plunged himself wholeheartedly into his life's work, striving to attain the goals he and others had set out almost four decades earlier.
In 1991, at the first national conference of the ANC held inside South Africa after the organization had been banned in 1960, Mandela was elected President of the ANC while his lifelong friend and colleague, Oliver Tambo, became the organisation's National Chairperson.