Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela. Inscribed (2000 reprint)
This copy of Long Walk to Freedom (a 2000 Abacus paperback reprint) is a remarkable piece of diplomatic and aviation history, capturing a specific behind-the-scenes moment from Nelson Mandela's post-presidency peacebuilding work in East Africa.
The Burundi Peace Process (February 2001)
While the accompanying provenance letter from pilot Iris McCallum recalls the flight to Ngara as being connected to the Rwandan refugee crisis, the exact date of Mandela's inscription, 27 February 2001, pinpoints the historical mission he was undertaking that day.
Facilitator of the Burundi Peace Process: In December 1999, following the death of former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere, Nelson Mandela was appointed the official facilitator of the Burundi Peace Process to end the brutal Burundian Civil War (1993–2005).
The Arusha Summit & Ngara Visit: On 26 February 2001, Mandela chaired a critical regional summit in Arusha, Tanzania, to push through the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement and resolve deadlocks over transitional leadership. The very next day on 27 February 2001, Mandela flew from Mwanza to Ngara (in northwestern Tanzania, right on the border with both Rwanda and Burundi).
The Refugee Camps: Ngara was home to massive refugee camps (such as Benaco and Lukole). While Benaco had originally swelled in 1994 during the Rwandan genocide, by February 2001, the Ngara district camps housed over 100,000 Burundian refugees who had fled ongoing ethnic violence. Mandela visited the camps in Ngara specifically to consult with the displaced Burundian population, assess humanitarian conditions, and urge their support for the peace accord before flying back to South Africa.
Notable Provenance & Association Details
A Pioneer in African Aviation: The book is inscribed "To Iris McCallum, Best wishes. Mandela 27.2.2001". Iris McCallum was a trailblazing female commercial pilot in East Africa and served as the General Manager for Regional Air Services in Arusha. Her account notes Mandela's characteristic grace, remaining completely unfazed at being flown by a woman at a time when female captains were still rare in regional African aviation, and politely declining the extra boarding step she had arranged for his knees.
The photograph shows Mandela standing with local dignitaries in front of McCallum's Beechcraft Super King Air 200 (bearing the Tanzanian registration prefix 5H-M...) operated by Regional Air.
Because Mandela's charter request came through the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority on short notice, McCallum rushed to a local Arusha bookshop before departing for Mwanza, where a standard softcover reprint was the only copy available, giving this humble paperback an extraordinary, documented diplomatic provenance.
Housed in a custom made clamshell.
125mm x 200mm x 50mm (book)
175mm x 270mm x 80mm (clamshell)
Paperback; spine faded and cracked; prelims foxing slightly; some thumbing.mm x mm
R10,000
