Tens of thousands of people in the Ghanaian capital Accra are attending the state funeral for President John Atta Mills, who died suddenly in July.

Some 18 African heads of state and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are among the dignitaries present.

Mills, who had long suffered from throat cancer, died only five months before he was set to seek re-election.

Mills, who started a four-year term in January 2009, was succeeded by Vice-President John Dramani Mahama.

Ghana has won international plaudits for the swift manner in which it handled the transition in a nation known for its divisive