Mahama mourns assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

John Mahama has expressed condolences over the death of the former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Mahama in joining the world to mourn the assassination of Shinzo Abe said his legacy will be remembered fondly by Ghana, Africa, and the world at large for a long time to come.

The killing shocked Japan and prompted an outpouring of grief and condemnation worldwide.

Mahama in a Facebook post said: As President of Ghana, through my side meetings with him at international conferences and two official visits to Japan, I found him to be a leader passionate about opening up Japan's role on the world stage, inclusive of expanding Japan-Africa relations.

He also recalled a meeting in May of 2016, which led to the official publication of the restoration of the Yen loan portfolio to Ghana and the announcement of Japan's commitment to assist Ghana with a number of important new and ongoing projects. These included the Tema motorway interchange project, expansion of the Sekondi fishing harbour, expansion and upgrade of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research into an Advanced Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, and the construction of a new bridge over the Southern Volta river at Volivo, among others.

At this time, my thoughts and prayers are with his bereaved family and the Japanese people in the wake of this senseless crime, he added.

Shinzo Abe has been pronounced dead by doctors after he was shot at an election campaign event in the city of Nara.

Shinzo Abe was transported to [the hospital] at 12:20 pm. He was in a state of cardiac arrest upon arrival. Resuscitation was administered. However, unfortunately, he died at 5:03 pm, Hidetada Fukushima, professor of emergency medicine at Nara Medical University Hospital told journalists.

Officials said Abe was shot while he was delivering a campaign speech on the street near a train station in Nara.

Shinzo Abe served as Japan's prime minister from December 2012 to September 2020, making him the country's longest-serving prime minister.

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