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Book Fakes Mandela Foreword

African leader denies penning false praise.

Why did Nelson Mandela call Denis Sassou-Nguesso "one of our great African leaders" in the foreword to the president of Congo-Brazzaville's new biography? Turns out he didn't. "We condemn this brazen abuse of Mr. Mandela's name," said an official at the Nelson Mandela Foundation. While Mandela was South Africa's first democratically elected president, Sassou-Nguesso seized power in his country through a coup. Recently Amnesty International gave Congo-Brazzaville low scores for its human-rights record. "Mr. Mandela is still overwhelmed by requests to write book forewords," his foundation told The Guardian. "A year ago he indicated he will no longer be agreeing to such requests."