    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [October 14, 1999]
    [Page 1794]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1794]]

    Statement on the Death of Former President Julius Nyerere of Tanzania
    October 14, 1999

        On behalf of the American people, Hillary and I extend our deepest
    sympathies to the family of former President Julius Nyerere, to
    President Mkapa, and the people of
    Tanzania. President Nyerere's death is a great loss for Tanzania, for
    Africa, and for the international community as a whole.
        President Nyerere was a pioneering leader for freedom and self-
    government in Africa. Many African leaders sought his guidance as they
    crafted their own new societies.
        President Nyerere dedicated his life to a vision rooted in the
    belief that all people have a responsibility to protect those who cannot
    protect themselves. He practiced this ethic personally, aiding not only
    courageous African leaders but also ordinary victims of regional
    conflict; he opened Tanzania's borders to refugees from wars in
    Mozambique, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, and Uganda.
        President Nyerere's legacy of determination and compassion lives on
    in the generous people of Tanzania today. We join our friends in
    Tanzania and Africa in celebrating his achievements and mourning his
    death. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and his fellow
    citizens.