The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, left Ghana on Tuesday, 16th March 2021, for Cote d’Ivoire, in his capacity as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority, to attend the funeral of the late Hamed Bakayoko, Prime Minister of Cote d’Ivoire, which will be held on Wednesday, 17th March, in Abidjan, capital of Cote d'Ivoire.

An eight-day period of national mourning for the late Prime Minister was announced by President Alassane Outtarra last Thursday, with the burial scheduled for Friday, 19th March.

President Akufo-Addo was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, and officials of the Presidency and the Foreign Ministry.

The President will return to Ghana on Wednesday, 17th March, 2021, and in his absence, the Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, shall, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the Constitution, act in his stead.