Yet while Mandela’s greatness as a democratic leader in South
Africa is unquestioned, his legacy in the realm of foreign policy is
much more ambiguous. Critics point to Mandela’s outspoken support
for leaders of decidedly undemocratic states Muammar Qadhafi in
Libya, Fidel Castro in Cuba, Suharto in Indonesia and the strong relations
with China that the South African leader later forgedand Saudi
Arabia. Recalling Mandela’s 1994 pledge that human rights would
be “the light that guides our foreign affairs,”
anywhere in the world. The new South Africa thus seemed poised
to become a global beacon for democracy and human rights.