Barack Obama, the first African-American president, arrived late Friday night in Ghana on his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as US leader, BBC online reports.
Ghana was chosen because of its democratic track record and Mr Obama is expected to use the trip to promote democracy across the continent in a speech Saturday. He is also due to visit a former slave fort (det gamle danske Christiansborg, red.) as part of his 24-hour visit.
Though Mr Obamas visit will be brief he wants to send a message, holding up Ghana – which has held a series of successful democratic elections – as a model for the rest of the continent. Barack Obama visited sub-Saharan Africa while a US senator, making a trip to Kenya – his fathers homeland – in August 2006.
For Ghanaians, there is little doubt that they deserve to be Mr Obamas first real African destination since assuming office.
Nigeria was not really suitable, given the question marks over the way in which President Umaru Yar’Adua was elected. Kenya, home of Mr Obamas father, experienced post-election violence. Ethiopia has jailed the leader of the opposition, and South Africas Jacob Zuma is new in the post and something of an unknown quantity.
It will not be easy, though, for Mr Obama to live up to some of the achievements of his predecessor, George W Bush, in Africa. The financial climate is different now and American-funded programmes, such as the provision of medicine for people living with HIV, are facing new challenges.
