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Former South African President Nelson Mandela was admitted to the hospital just before midnight Wednesday due to his recurring lung infection, the South African president’s office said today.

“Doctors are attending to him, ensuring that he has the best possible expert medical treatment and comfort,” the government’s statement said.

Mandela, 94, spent 18 days in the hospital in December for a lung infection and gallstones.

“We appeal to the people of South Africa and the world to pray for our beloved Madiba and his family and to keep them in their thoughts,” South African President Jacob Zuma said in the statement. “We have full confidence in the medical team and know that they will do everything possible to ensure recovery.”

The anti-apartheid activist was admitted to a Pretoria hospital March 10 for routine medical tests and to “manage existing conditions in line with his age,” a spokesman for the South African president’s office said.