Sunday, 11 September
10 Sep
Commonwealth countries Rwanda, Kenya, and Malawi have declared days of mourning following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
In a statement, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, who is the current Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth said he was honouring the Queen whose legacy was the group, comprised of 54 nations.
“We recall the 70 years of stewardship to the Commonwealth of nations,” Kagame said.
He also added that the Rwandan national flag, as well as the flag of the East African Community (EAC), would fly at half-mast until the Queen was buried.
Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral is expected to take place at Westminster Abbey around 10 days after her death.
Malawi’s president Lazarus Chakwera also said, “… the flags will fly at half-mast for 10 days as a mark of respect for Her Majesty the Queen”.
Outgoing Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta said the national flag would be flown at half-mast for four days that began on Friday and will end on Monday.
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“In all that, as governments rose and fell, new nations were born, and the geopolitical sands shifted back and forth; Queen Elizabeth II remained our one constant and an unshakable rock of dedication to duty, grace, sacrifice, public service, and… commitment to God, Country, and Family,” Kenyatta was quoted by Kenyan media.
So far, no African heads of state have confirmed if they would attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, but it is expected that those from mostly the Commonwealth would do so.
In June 1953 at Westminster Abbey, Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation was attended by more than 8 000 guests and an estimated three million people lined the streets of London to catch a glimpse of the procession that was also televised, reports the UK Guardian.
The funeral is expected to draw an even bigger crowd.
The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
09 Sep
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