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Mourners Pay Last Respects to Former Ghana President on Wednesday

VOA News

   Ghanaians will pay their last respects to former President Jerry
   Rawlings Wednesday in the capital, Accra, wherehis funeral is being
   held.

   Rawlings, who was 73-years old, died in November of last year, but his
   cause of death has not been made public.

   Hewas expected to be buried last month, but the delaywaspartlybecause
   Ghana's political leaders disagreed on some logistics of his funeral.

   Rawlingswas widely viewed as an advocate for the poor,with acheckered
   past in Ghana, havingstaged two coups andled a military junta
   beforebeingdemocraticallyelected presidentin 1992. Rawlingswon a second
   four-year term in office in1996.

   Rawlings held swayfor two decades in Ghana, wielding influence
   evenafter leaving office,helpingPresident Nana Akufo-Addoget electedfor
   the first time in 2016.

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