BURIAL DAY: Ghana Weeps As H.E. President Mills Goes Home

Ghana�s first President who died in the line of duty, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, will be buried today at the Marine Drive near the seat of government, the Castle, Osu in Accra. The state funeral is taking place at the Independence Square in Accra with tens of thousands of Ghanaians trooping to the venue as early as 3.30am Friday � a day that has been declared a public holiday in Ghana to honour the late Mills. Ex-President Mills, 68, who died at the 37 Military Hospital on July 24, has been laid in state at the Banquet Hall of the State House near Parliament over the past two days and close to a million Ghanaians including President John Dramani Mahama, Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur and their spouses, Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, members of the Diplomatic Corps, chiefs and other groupings have file past his remains. Sixteen heads of state and government from the ECOWAS sub-region are attending the funeral with the Secretary of State of the US, Hillary Clinton, representing the US government among several other dignitaries. Mills� death hit the headlines across the world and ahead of his burial today, prominent leaders have described him as an asset that will be sorely missed. President Obama described Mills as �a strong advocate for human rights and for the fair treatment of all Ghanaians�, while his British counterpart David Cameron said, �President Mills was a tireless defender of democracy in West Africa and across the continent, and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family, and all the Ghanaian people on this difficult day.�