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Foreign Policy

President Bush welcomes Nelson Mandela's release from prison

On February 11, 1990, President George H. W. Bush issued a public statement welcoming Nelson Mandela's release from prison and urged continued negotiations to dismantle apartheid in South Africa.

Mandela's release marked a turning point in the end of apartheid, and the Bush administration's response signaled U.S. diplomatic support for a negotiated transition to majority rule and continued engagement on human-rights reforms.

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