By Craig Timberg
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, July 18, 2007

JOHANNESBURG, July 17 -- Former South African president Nelson Mandela plans to announce on Wednesday the creation of "the Elders," a group composed mostly of retired global leaders that will seek to tackle urgent world problems unfettered by the politics of any one nation, officials with the group said.

It will have about a dozen members, including former president Jimmy Carter, former U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan and retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. Among the organizers of the effort have been rock star Peter Gabriel and British airline mogul Richard Branson, who has used meetings at his Caribbean getaway, Necker Island, as an incubator for creation of the group.

The members met in private for several hours Tuesday in Johannesburg.

"Collectively we'll be a very formidable force," Carter said in an interview Tuesday night.

The announcement will coincide with the 89th birthday of Mandela, who plans to give the inaugural speech for the group despite having largely withdrawn from public view as he grows increasingly frail. His wife, Graca Machel, said Mandela -- known to South Africans by his honorary clan name, Madiba -- will not play a day-to-day role in the group.

"Madiba is sort of the initiator of the process. He took the initiative of bringing this group together," said Machel, who is a member of the group. "But because of his age, he's not going to have a major role in this."

She added that despite signs of infirmity -- Mandela has trouble hearing and often needs assistance walking -- he remains in good health. "He's fantastic. For his age, for his life story, he's doing very well," she said.

Members of the group have carefully avoided saying what issues they plan to tackle. Carter said the group was unlikely to take an active role in mediation. More likely, the Elders would investigate a situation privately, then issue public pronouncements intended to bring about a resolution, he said.

The group members may also lobby decision-makers privately.

Carter said he became involved when Branson invited him to a meeting on Necker Island last year. Most future meetings would likely be teleconferences because the group's members have full schedules, Carter said.

No members have official positions that would keep them from speaking openly on any issue the group decided to tackle.

Joining the group, Carter joked, "means you're a has-been, politically speaking."