Wikileaks: the South African files

Wikileaks is currently in the process of publishing 250 000 documents that discloses classified communication between the US State department and it’s 270 embassies worldwide. It’s causing some serious political drama worldwide and there’s a South African connection involving US critisism of Mandela.

Here’s a quick rundown of how South Africa features in the Wikileaks documents so far:

• Winnie Madikizela-Mandela helped US officials gain access to Madiba


• Nelson Mandela criticised for his opposition to the US led invasion of Iraq


• ANC co-operated with US intelligence services and gave confidential info before 1994 elections


• Planned De Klerk speech that changed South Africa and paved the way for Nelson Mandela to be released from prison


• Nelson Mandela was “furious” when a top adviser stopped him meeting Margaret Thatcher


• SA International Affairs minister called Robert Mugabe a” crazy old man”

Only a fraction of the 250 000 documents have been released so expect more later.

 

African countries and thier leaders referenced in WikiLeaks

Posted on November 28, 2010 under africa wikileak cables, African leaders in the great lakes region wikileaks, cablegate and africa, cablegate and egypt, cablegate and Mugabe, cablegate and south africa, mandela and thatcher wikileaks, wikileaks and african countries, wikileaks and Egypt, wikileaks and Gaddaffi the Libyan leader, wikileaks and mugabe

In total there are 251,287 dispatches providing us with a superpower’s view of Africa and the rest of the world

• The state department sent the most cables in this set, followed by Ankara in Turkey, then Baghdad and Tokyo

• 97,070 of the documents were classified as ‘Confidential’

• 28,760 of them were given the tag ‘PTER’ which stands for prevention of terrorism

• The earliest of the cables is from 1966 – with most, 56,813, from 2009.

See the entire Data Blog and facts here at the Guardian

Links to Africa Cables

• Mandela’s release and what he thought of De klerk: Viewing cable 90CAPETOWN97

• A glimpse into Libyan Leader Qadhafi’s eccentricties: Viewing cable 09TRIPOLI771

• President Mubarak of Egypt quote “The British were behind this “big fuss” and that the pressure from other African leaders was sufficiently soft that Mugabe can do what he wants.”: Viewing cable 08CAIRO1637

• Washington wants diplomats to send DNA and iris scans for African leaders in the great lakes region: Viewing cable 09STATE37561

• Washington launches intelligence trawl on West Sahara States: Viewing cable 09STATE37566