Tears for President Atta Mills [PHOTOS]

: A Ghana policewoman stands at ease as a motorcade pulls into the Independence Square for the funeral of President John Atta Mills

: Tears on the face of a woman grief stricken at the loss of Ghana’s President John Atta Mills

: Thousands of Ghanaians in red and black at the Independence square to pay their last respects to President John Atta Mills

: Two women dressed in black look at photos of President John Atta Mills handed out at his funeral at Independence Square

: A woman leaves her seat to to take a picture of the proceedings at the funeral of President John Atta Mills in Accra, Ghana

: Usherettes dressed in black dresses walk passed guests at the funeral of President John Atta Mills

: A stretcher is brought to carry a man who fainted at the funeral of President John Atta Mills at Independence Square in Accra, Ghana

: Police bike riders display acrobatic stunts at the Independence square at the funeral of President John Atta Mills in Accra, Ghana

: A clergy woman at the funeral of President John Atta Mills at the Independence Square in Accra, Ghana

: Security Personnel try to resuscitate a man who fainted at the funeral of President John Atta Mills in Accra, Ghana

: A man wear Ghana’s flag as a cape at the funeral of President John Atta Mills in Accra Ghana

: Two women wearing Atta-Mills aschobi

: A man finds solace from the heat with a handkerchief on his head at the funeral of President John Atta Mills

: Ghana’s judges assemble for the funeral of President John Atta Mills in Accra

: A man reads the programme of President John Atta Mills’ funeral at Independence Square in Accra, Ghana

: Millitary personnel drive up to transport the remains of President John Atta Mills to the cemetery

: A woman wails for President Mills

: Ghanaians dressed in the mourning colors of red and black at the funeral of President John Atta Mills

: A woman weeps silently as President Mills’ coffin is removed from the Independence Square in Accra, Ghana

: Ghanaian dressed in the mourning colors of red and black at the funeral of President John Atta Mills

: An elderly woman fans herself with an olive branch as she weeps at the funeral of President John Atta Mills in Accra, Ghana

: Women weep as the remains of President Mills are removed from the Independence Square others use their mobile phone to record the event

: Ghanaians wave a last good bye to President John Atta Mills as his coffin is removed from the Independence Square to the burial grounds in Accra, Ghana

: Health care workers carry a woman who fainted at the funeral of President John Atta Mills in Accra, Ghana

: A man taps the shoulder of an elderly woman as he walks by to hand her the program me she requested for at the funeral of President John Atta Mills in Accra, Ghana

: A man dressed in traditional wear at the funeral of President John Atta Mills in Accra, Ghana

: A man holding Ghana flag looks on as the coffin of President John Atta Mills arrives at the Independence Square in Accra

: A Ghana policeman stands at attention as the national anthem is played at the funeral of President John Atta Mills

: Two men dressed in Atta-Mills aschobi cotton exchange pleasantries at the funeral of President John Atta Mills in Accra

: Ghanaians dressed in the mourning colors of red and black at the funeral of President John Atta Mills

On Friday I was at the state funeral of the late President John Evans Atta Mills who died on July 24th 2012 at a military hospital in Accra, Ghana. According to unverified reports the president died from complications from throat cancer. It was the first time in Ghana’s history that a sitting president had died. Although many were shocked at his death footage of the president in the last year of his life showed that Atta Mills had lost a lot of weight in the months nearing his death. He looked ill. In less than 12 hours of the President’s death Ghana had sworn in John Dramani Mahama as its next president to much international applause for a smooth constitutional transition.

In the days up to President Mills’ funeral traditional and social media eulogized the president as a man of peace and simple means. He never moved out of his house to the presidential mansion and it is reported that he lived a regular life outside of his presidential duties. The man who was severely mocked in life was martyred in death.

Billboards with the late President’s face came up quickly, the gates of homes and offices were draped in the mourning colors of black and red, and cars, taxis, and tro-tros hung red strips on side and rear view mirrors to indicate a sign of mourning. All of Accra it seemed was united by the death of President Mills.

Thousands of the City’s residents made their way to Independence Square for the funeral rites and those who couldn’t make it into the square line the streets waving flags.

When the program started I was surprised to find that some of the women standing around me were weeping. People were genuinely sad. As the coffin was removed from the square people stood on their seats and waved their final goodbye to the president that Ghana will remember as a man of peace.