President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E Nana Akufo-Addo has issued a statement on the death of George Floyd, the black man who died after being pinned down by a white police officer in Minneapolis on Monday.
George Floyd, 46, died after being arrested by police outside a shop in Powderhorn, a neighbourhood south of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States.
Footage of the arrest on May 25 shows a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on Mr Floyd’s neck while he was pinned to the floor.
Mr Chauvin, 44, has since been charged with murder.
President Akufo-Addo expressed his deepest condolence to the bereaved family and stood in solidarity with the African-American populace in the United States.
Akufo-Addo released a statement via his Facebook page, saying ”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.”
Read Full Statement Below;
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.
