Ghana shocked by president's death

Ghana's President John Atta Mills, who won international praise as leader of a stable model democracy in Africa, died suddenly on Tuesday and will be succeeded by his vice-president in the West African oil, gold and cocoa producer, officials said.

Mills was 68. The unexpected death of the leader of the world's number two cocoa grower comes months before he was due to stand for re-election in December.

Ghana, also a major African gold producer, started pumping oil in 2010 and posted double-digit growth in 2011, burnishing its image as an increasingly attractive investment destination on the

 continent. It was praised for its healthy democracy.

"It is with a heavy heart ... that we announce the sudden and untimely death of the president of the Republic of Ghana," a statement by the president's office said.

Vice-President John Dramani Mahama would be sworn in to replace Mills under Ghana's Constitution, officials said.

Taken ill
The president's office said that Mills, who celebrated his 68th birthday on Saturday, died a few hours after being taken ill, but no further details were given.

A presidential aide, who asked not to be named, said the president had complained of pains on Monday evening and died early on Tuesday afternoon when his condition worsened.

Mills had returned from medical checks in the United States a few weeks ago

Ghana's election commission said December's presidential and parliamentary elections would go ahead as planned.

"The election calendar remains unchanged – it's purely a party matter," election chief Kwadwo Afari-Gyan told Reuters, explaining that it was up to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to find a candidate to replace Mills.

winning plaudits
Trained as a lawyer and taxation expert, Mills had overseen Ghana's emergence as one of Africa's newest oil producers two years ago, winning plaudits both at home and abroad for his sound economic policies and commitment to democracy and good governance.

In March, US President Barack Obama received the Ghanaian president in the Oval Office and praised him and his country as "a good-news story" in Africa.

Previous rumours about Mills's possible ill health had swirled in the last few weeks and he travelled last month to the US for medical treatment.

On that occasion, he had joked with reporters on his departure from the capital Accra about rumours of his death, asking them: "Are you seeing a person who has died?"

Mills, who won a close-fought, two-round election in 2008 by beating off rival Nana Akufo-Addo of the then-ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), was preparing to bid for a second term in polls set for December, once again against arch-foe Akufo-Addo. Source: Mails Online