Ghana's electoral commission yesterday declared John Atta Mills, the candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), to be the victor of the presidential elections. The run-off election to choose the successor to John Kufuor was so close that a re-run was needed in the constituency of Tain last Friday in order to obtain a conclusive result.

Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued the following statement in Berlin today (4 January) on the elections in Ghana:

“I congratulate Professor John Atta Mills on his election as President of the Republic of Ghana. The fact that the elections remained largely peaceful and orderly despite the closeness of the result is a success for democracy in Ghana! A peaceful democratic transition – as it currently appears to be – is exemplary for all of Africa. The people of Ghana can rightly be proud of the vibrant, contested and yet peaceful change that has taken place in their country.

Professor Mills' government will have tremendous tasks to master. Above all, it must ensure that the positive economic developments in Ghana finally bring tangible dividends for all Ghanaians. I also hope that Professor Mills will successfully give the opponent he beat so narrowly, my former counterpart as Foreign Minister, Nana Akufo-Addo, and his party, a role in shaping the political and economic future of his country.

The Federal Government and I myself will continue to lend Ghana our full support on its way forward.”

Frank-Walter Steinmeier has already visited Ghana twice since becoming Foreign Minister.

Read more on Germany's bilateral relations to Ghana: