In pictures: Obama visits Robben Island in South Africa
- Published
US President Barack Obama took a tour of Robben Island and went inside the cell where Nelson Mandela was held by South Africa's former apartheid government.
He visited the jail with his daughters Sasha and Malia, First Lady Michelle and his mother-in-law Marian Robinson. The family were shown around by a former prisoner.
Mr Mandela was held at Robben Island for 18 years after being sentenced to life in prison for sabotage in 1964.
While in jail in the 1980s, Mr Mandela contracted tuberculosis which led to reoccurring lung problems that have left him critically ill in hospital.
Anti-apartheid fighters held in Robben Island were forced to undertake hours of back-breaking labour. The complex is now a museum.
President Obama wrote in a guest book that his family were "deeply humbled" to visit the jail. He said it was a reminder that "no shackles or cells can match the strength of the human spirit".
His visit - part of a wider tour of Africa - has been met with anger among some. Protesters waved placards against US foreign policy in Cape Town, where the president gave a speech.
During his address at the University of Cape Town, Mr Obama paid tribute to Mr Mandela and urged young Africans to fulfil the former leader's legacy.
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