Kenya attack: Awoonor’s death, shocking — Ghanaian President

Abidjan – Ghana’s President John Mahama
has described the death of Ghanaian writer,
Prof. Kofi Awoonor, in the Kenya mall
terrorist attack as shocking.
This is contained in a reaction by the
president posted on his Facebook wall.
“I am shocked to hear the death of Prof.
Awoonor in the Nairobi Mall terrorist
attack. This is a great loss to Ghana.
“He will be sorely missed by Ghanaians,
family, friends and our party; the National
Democratic Congress,’’ the president said.
Gunmen on Saturday opened fire at an
upscale Nairobi mall, killing, at least, 68
persons and injuring many others.
Kenyan police authorities have been widely
quoted as describing the incident as a
terrorist attack.
Meanwhile, Kenyan President, Uhuru
Kenyatta, has pledged to track down the
perpetrators of the attack, which he
described as `heinous and senseless’.
Kenyatta was quoted in a statement as
describing Awonor’s death in the attack as
a huge loss to Africa.
“We shall hunt down the perpetrators
wherever they run to, we shall get them, we
shall punish them for this heinous crime,’’
the president said.
Awoonor, born in March 1935, was a
renowned Ghanaian poet and author of
international repute.
His works combined the poetic traditions of
his native Ewe people as well as
contemporary and religious symbolism to
depict Africa’s decolonisation.