World Leaders Gather for Ghanaian President's Funeral
In this late Nov.3, 2013 photograph, a man watches Diwali fireworks light up the night sky above Ajmer, Rajasthan state, India. Millions of Indians were setting off deafening fireworks displays to light up the sky for Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights.
World leaders are gathering in Ghana for the funeral of the late president John Atta Mills, who died suddenly on July 24.
Mills was Ghana's third democratically-elected president.
Vice President John Dramani Mahama took the oath of office hours after Mills death. The smooth transition of power underscores Ghana's roles as one of Africa's most stable democracies.
Ghana Holds Funeral for John Atta Mills
1/9Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, center, pays her respects after signing the guest book for Ghana's late President John Atta Mills' funeral in Accra, Ghana, August 10, 2012.
World leaders gather in Ghana for the funeral of the late president John Atta Mills, who died suddenly on July 24.
2/9People walk to pay tribute to late President John Atta Mills at the parliament in Accra, Ghana, August 9, 2012.
World leaders gather in Ghana for the funeral of the late president John Atta Mills, who died suddenly on July 24.
3/9A hearse carries the body of late President John Atta Mills to the parliament in Accra, Ghana, August 8, 2012.
World leaders gather in Ghana for the funeral of the late president John Atta Mills, who died suddenly on July 24.
4/9Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama (C) arrives for the beginning of the three days of funeral ceremonies for late President John Atta Mills, Accra, Ghana, August 8, 2012.
World leaders gather in Ghana for the funeral of the late president John Atta Mills, who died suddenly on July 24.
5/9Ghana President John Atta Mills attends the Chicago Council's Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, May 18, 2012.
World leaders gather in Ghana for the funeral of the late president John Atta Mills, who died suddenly on July 24.
6/9US President Barack Obama sits with Ghana's President John Atta Mills, right, and President Yayi Boni of Benin during a luncheon on Food Security at the G-8 Summit at Camp David, May 19, 2012.
World leaders gather in Ghana for the funeral of the late president John Atta Mills, who died suddenly on July 24.
7/9John Atta Mills visits the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and talks with specialist Jennifer Klesaris December 15, 2011.
World leaders gather in Ghana for the funeral of the late president John Atta Mills, who died suddenly on July 24.
8/9Ghana's President John Atta Mills, right, gestures as he speaks after being sworn in as the country's new president during a ceremony in Accra, Ghana, January 7, 2009.
World leaders gather in Ghana for the funeral of the late president John Atta Mills, who died suddenly on July 24.
9/9John Atta Mills after he won the presidency of Ghana, January 3, 2009.
World leaders gather in Ghana for the funeral of the late president John Atta Mills, who died suddenly on July 24.
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U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is among those attending the funeral. She is set to hold talks in Accra with Mr. Mahama.
She is then scheduled to pay a visit to Benin, her last stop on her African tour.
Clinton met with Nigeria's president Thursday and urged him to step up efforts to combat growing extremist violence in the country's north and central regions.
Officials traveling with Clinton said she told President Goodluck Jonathan and top Nigerian security authorities that Washington stands ready to help train police and anti-terror units in the fight against Boko Haram militants. The Islamist extremist group is blamed for scores of attacks and more than 600 deaths this year alone, as it seeks to implement strict Islamic law across the country of 160 million people.
Rights groups say Boko Haram has mainly targeted authority figures, government buildings, and churches since 2010, in a country split roughly in half between the Muslim-dominated north and largely Christian south.
The Abuja government has so far been unable to stop the bloodshed.
Clinton also encouraged government efforts to improve transparency and curb official graft in a country consistently ranked as one of the world's most corrupt.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
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