Ghana mourns ex-leader Rawlings at state funeral | by @dudeboy

The state funeral of Ghana's longest serving leader, Jerry John Rawlings, has taken place in the capital, Accra.

During a turbulent career, he led two coups before twice being elected president in multiparty polls.

He died in November at the age of 73 of an undisclosed illness, but his funeral was delayed - in part by political squabbling.

The ceremony was held at Independence Square, with numbers attending limited by coronavirus restrictions.
But many Ghanaians headed to the square despite being asked by the government to watch the ceremony on TV in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus, the BBC's Thomas Naadi reports from Accra.President Rawlings contributed to peace efforts in Liberia and Sierra Leone during the civil wars in the 1990s and most recently was an African Union envoy to Somalia. He also led campaigns against malaria across the continent.

'A caring disciplinarian'
Tribute after tribute eulogised the late Ghanaian leader, most describing him as a selfless and committed leader who worked for the common good of his country, our reporter says.