President Nelson Mandela was on Wednesday awarded the United States' Congressional medal of honour, the highest civilian recognition awarded by the US, in a ceremony in Washington. He is the first African person ever to be awarded the medal.

The ceremony brought together for a rare amicable meeting both Republicans and Democrats, currently squaring off over the issue of the possible impeachment of President Bill Clinton over the Monica Lewinski affair.

Mandela refused to talk about his achievements, deferring instead to the fact that the medal is a tribute to all South Africans."I feel great pride in the fact that to the few citizens of other countries who have received this high honour, the name of an African is now added," he said. Mandela used the opportunity to call for a partnership between Africa and the US in bringing a transfer of resources from rich to underdeveloped nation.

"Though we are long past blaming our past for our problems, it does need to be acknowledged that the imbalances and inequities bequeathed to us by the history of Africa and South Africa are beyond our capacity to meet on our own."
Mandela said that the recent turmoil in world financial markets has dramatically exposed the imbalances and disparities between nations.

"The recognition that even the most powerful economy in the world is not immune from the consequences of defects in the global economic system... indicates to us that the needs of developing countries, and of Africa in particular, will have an understanding hearing in Washington," Mandela said.