President Akufo-Addo has expressed shock and disgust at the killing of an unarmed African–American, George Floyd, by a caucasian Police Officer in the US.
In a Facebook post, the President said the act brought back painful memories of how people of colour were treated some decades ago.
He said it cannot be right that, in the 21st Century, the US—the great bastion of democracy, continues to grapple with the problem of systemic racism.
President Akufo-Addo further expressed his condolences to the family and friends of George Floyd.
He wrote that Ghana stands with her kith and kin in America in these difficult and trying times, and hoped the unfortunate, tragic death of George Floyd will inspire a lasting change in how America confronts the problems of hate and racism.
BELOW IS WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID
Black people, the world over, are shocked and distraught by the killing of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, by a white police officer in the United States of America. It carried with it an all too painful familiarity, and an ugly reminder. It cannot be right that, in the 21st century, the United States, this great bastion of democracy, continues to grapple with the problem of systemic racism.
On behalf of the people of Ghana, I express my deep condolences to the family and loved ones of the late George Floyd.
We stand with our kith and kin in America in these difficult and trying times, and we hope that the unfortunate, tragic death of George Floyd will inspire a lasting change in how America confronts head-on the problems of hate and racism.
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, 43, died in ‘Powder horn’, a neighbourhood south of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota.
While Floyd was handcuffed, lying face down on a city street during an arrest, Derek Chauvin, a caucasian Minneapolis police officer, kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds, leading to his death.
According to the criminal complaint against Mr Chauvin, two minutes and 53 seconds of that time occurred after Floyd became unresponsive.
