Obama to travel to South Africa to honor Mandela

South African children hold placards showing the face of Nelson Mandela as they celebrate his life. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

[AP]

The White House says President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will travel to South Africa next week to pay respects to Nelson Mandela.

White House press secretary Jay Carney says the Obamas will participate in memorial events, but didn’t say specifically what day they planned to be in South Africa. The South African government announced that Mandela would be honored with a state burial on Dec. 15.

Mandela has been an anti-apartheid icon and his nation’s first black president. He died Thursday at age 95. In remarks following Mandela’s death, Obama counted himself as one of the countless millions who have been inspired by the South African leader.