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Nelson Mandela: Obama meets Mandela family, police disperse protesters

Nelson Mandela: On Saturday, President Barack Obama met with relatives of former South African President Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid hero who remains critically ill. While visiting South Africa, Obama has faced protests over US foreign policy and drones.  

US President Barack Obama met the family of听's ailing anti-apartheid hero听听on Saturday and he praised the critically ill, retired statesman as one of history's greatest figures.

The faltering health of Mandela, 94, a figure admired globally as a symbol of struggle against injustice and racism, is dominating Obama's two-day visit to听.

But Obama also faced protests by听South听Africans against US foreign policy, especially American drone strikes.

Police fired stun grenades on Saturday to disperse several hundred protesters who had gathered outside the听听of the听, where Obama was due to address a town hall meeting with students.

Obama, in听听on the second leg of a three-nation听听tour, met Mandela relatives to deliver a message of support instead of directly visiting the former president at the hospital where he has spent the last three weeks.

The meeting took place at the听听Centre of Memory in听.

Obama told reporters afterwards he also spoke by telephone with Mandela's wife听, who remained by her husband's side in the hospital in听.

"I expressed my hope that Madiba draws peace and comfort from the time that he is spending with loved ones, and also expressed my heartfelt support for the entire family as they work through this difficult time," he said, using the clan name Madiba by which Mandela is affectionately known.

Obama earlier had talks with听South听African President Jacob Zuma and the two held a joint news conference in which Zuma said Mandela remained in a "critical but stable condition".

Obama's visit to听听had stirred intense speculation that the first African-American president of the听would look in on the first black president of听听in his hospital room.

But Mandela's deterioration in the last week to a critical condition forced the听听to rule out the possibility of Obama and his wife seeing the frail ex-statesman.

Speaking to reporters at听's Union Buildings, where Mandela was inaugurated as president in 1994, Obama said the prayers of millions around the world were with the Nobel Peace laureate, who lay just one km (mile) away in hospital.

Adding to his previous praise of Mandela, Obama likened him to first US president听听because of the decision of both to step down at the peak of their power.

"What an incredible lesson that is," Obama said, calling Mandela "one of the greatest people in history".

Obama had said on Thursday he did not "need a photo op" with Mandela, whom he met in 2005 in Washington when he was a US senator.

"BOUND BY HISTORY"

After holding talks with Obama, Zuma said Mandela's critical condition was unchanged. "We hope that very soon he will be out of hospital," he added, without giving further details.

In welcoming Obama, Zuma underscored the historical similarities between Mandela and his US guest in overcoming decades of institutionalised racism and discrimination to rise to the highest political office.

"The two of you are also bound by history as the first black presidents of your respective countries," Zuma said. "You both carry the dreams of the millions of people in听听and the diaspora."

On Sunday, Obama flies to听听from which he will visit Robben Island, the windswept former penal colony in the frigid waters of the听south听Atlantic where Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in apartheid jails.

Zuma said Mandela had told him before his latest hospitalisation that "when I go to sleep I will be very happy because I left听听going forward".