Funeral of former Ghana President Jerry Rawlings

Ghana's late president Jerry John Rawlings was buried at the country's military cemetery in the capital Accra on Wednesday, after four days of commemorations to mark his death.

Rawlings was a controversial figure in the West African nation, who transformed from a military head of state who staged two coups to a democratically elected president credited with laying the foundation for peaceful elections and transfers of power in Ghana.

Rawlings died in November after a short illness at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra at the age of 73.

His casket was led in a parade through the streets on Wednesday before his burial at the military cemetery at Burma Camp, the headquarters of Ghana's armed forces.

In a tribute at the remembrance ceremony, Ghana's President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo called him the founder of the Fourth Republic which he said "has proved to be the most enduring and stable in our history".

Rawlings was born in 1947 to a Scottish father and a Ghanaian mother, who only died in September last year at the age of 101.

Following a career in the air force, he came to power in 1979 after leading a coup, and soon after transferred power to civilian rule.

In December 1981, he staged a second coup, and was Ghana's military leader until he introduced multi-party elections in 1992 that returned the country to democracy.

He won the election, was sworn in as president in 1993, and served two four-year terms before leaving office in 2001.

Ghana's commemorations for Rawlings began Sunday with a service at the Holy Spirit Cathedral.

On Monday and Tuesday his body lay in state at the Accra International Conference Centre where the family and various groups could pay their last respects.

In addition to his wife, Rawlings is survived by three daughters: Zanetor Rawlings, Yaa Asantewaa Rawlings, Amina Rawlings; and one son, Kimathi Rawlings.

(Image Credit: AP)