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The bodies of six Ghanaians killed The Gambia in July 2005 were brought back to Ghana last Sunday, accompanied by a four-member Gambian government delegation. The bodies, in wooden coffins, were lifted by a Ghana Air Force aircraft, which touched down at the Accra Air Force Base at 8pm. The bodies were monitored by a forensic team. The minister of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, his deputy, Chris Kpodoh, and the military command were at the Air Force Base to receive the bodies. The Director of Religious Affairs of the Ghana Armed Forces, Col. Adoteye Asare, prayed for eternal peace for the six bodies. The bodies were released to Ghana following the report and recommendation by a fact-finding mission set up by ECOWAS, with the support of the United Nations, to investigate the killing of the Ghanaians in the Gambia in July 2005. The fact-finding mission recommended that the bodies of the six Ghanaians be exhumed from a mass grave and returned to their families in Ghana. The bodies has since been taken to the Police Hospital for final identification, after which a ceremony will be organized to hand over the bodies to their respective families. Alhaji Mumuni, who spoke on behalf of President Mills, the chiefs and people of Ghana, said the release of the six bodies followed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the Presidents of Ghana and Then Gambia, John Evans Atta Mills and Yahya Jameh. That, he said, followed several discussions and consultations between the two Presidents. He said with their return to their homeland; the bodies of the six Ghanaians �will get some succor for the repose of their souls in eternal peace�. The earlier reports had indicated that the number of Ghanaians killed in The Gambia was as high as 40, but he ECOWAS fact-finding mission identified six bodies out of the eight exhumed from a mass grave to be Ghanaians. On whether the government would continue negotiations with The Gambian government on issues of the bodies of the other Ghanaians, Alhaji Mumuni said for now the government would concentrate on the report of the fact-finding mission which identified only six Ghanaians. He said if the government went behind the recommendations of the report and started discussions with The Gambian government on any other Ghanaian bodies, it would amount to disregarding the work of the ECOWAS fact-finding mission.Alhaji Mumuni thanked The Gambian government for its co-operation with the Ghanaian government in ensuring the return of the six bodies to their homeland. He commended the UN, ECOWAS and the military authorities for their respective roles in facilitating release of the bodies of the six Ghanaians. The Minister of Health of the Gambia, Dr Marietu Jallow, who led the four member delegation, extended her condolence to the government and people of Ghana and the bereaved families. Dr Jallow said she led the four-member delegation to hand over the bodies to the government of Ghana because of the �deep love and respect� Gambians had for Ghanaians. She expressed the hope that the two countries would continue to live in unity, peace and hope for the future. Dr Jallow prayed to God to grant the six bodies eternal rest.