Obama said events in Africa do not lose their effects at the continent's borders and said Africa is a fully integrated part of the global economy.
"What happens here has an impact everywhere," Obama said during a meeting with Ghanaian President John Atta Mills. Obama scheduled a 21-hour visit to the West African nation to highlight that country's democratic tradition and engagement with the West. During his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa since taking office, Obama sought to lift up the continent of his ancestors — while keeping its emotions in check.Greeted by a rush of excitement on his arrival here, theUnited States ' first black president planned a speech to Ghana 's Parliament on Saturday outlining his hope for a future Africa prospering in democracy. He was also visiting a hospital and a one-time slave trading post, joined by his wife, Michelle, a great-great granddaughter of slaves.
But his speech was also pitched as a sobering account ofAfrica 's enduring afflictions: hunger, disease, corruption, ethnic strife and strongman rule.
No big public event was planned — in part for fear it could cause a celebratory stampede, as a 1998 stop by President Bill Clinton almost did.
"I can say without any fear of contradiction that all Ghanaians want to see you. I wish it were possible for me to send you to every home inGhana ," Mills said, underscoring the U.S.
People lined the streets Saturday morning, many waving at every vehicle of Obama's motorcade as it headed toward a meeting atOsu Castle U.S. Ghana
While the people ofGhana
A short time later, his motorcade left the hotel, passed under hovering military helicopters and arrived for a delayed welcome ceremony. Mills greeted his counterpart and then the pair went inside for one-on-one meetings.
SelectingGhana as the starting point of his black Africa travels, the president sought to highlight a continental success story.
"We think thatGhana
Obama planned to highlight those successes during a midday speech, urging Africans to embrace a future of accountable leaders and open markets. To ensure a wide audience, the administration organized events for the public to watch video of Obama's speech at embassies and cultural centers acrossAfrica .
But the speech was also a splash of cold water for Africans still nursing grievances over colonial rule.
"For many years we've made excuses about corruption or poor governance, (insisting) this was somehow the consequence of neocolonialism, or the West has been oppressive, or racism," he told AllAfrica.com last week. "I'm not a believer in excuses."
Those sentiments led Obama to avoid his father's nativeKenya Kenya
Later in the day, Obama planned to tourCape Coast Castle America
While Michelle Obama's great-great grandfather was a slave inSouth Carolina
The castle visit mirrored ones paid by Clinton and George W. Bush to the slave-trading post ofGoree Island , Senegal
InGhana , too, Obama followed in Clinton Clinton in Accra
Independence Squareand toppled barricades after his speech. "What happens here has an impact everywhere," Obama said during a meeting with Ghanaian President John Atta Mills. Obama scheduled a 21-hour visit to the West African nation to highlight that country's democratic tradition and engagement with the West. During his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa since taking office, Obama sought to lift up the continent of his ancestors — while keeping its emotions in check.Greeted by a rush of excitement on his arrival here, the
But his speech was also pitched as a sobering account of
No big public event was planned — in part for fear it could cause a celebratory stampede, as a 1998 stop by President Bill Clinton almost did.
"I can say without any fear of contradiction that all Ghanaians want to see you. I wish it were possible for me to send you to every home in
People lined the streets Saturday morning, many waving at every vehicle of Obama's motorcade as it headed toward a meeting at
While the people of
A short time later, his motorcade left the hotel, passed under hovering military helicopters and arrived for a delayed welcome ceremony. Mills greeted his counterpart and then the pair went inside for one-on-one meetings.
Selecting
"We think that
Obama planned to highlight those successes during a midday speech, urging Africans to embrace a future of accountable leaders and open markets. To ensure a wide audience, the administration organized events for the public to watch video of Obama's speech at embassies and cultural centers across
But the speech was also a splash of cold water for Africans still nursing grievances over colonial rule.
"For many years we've made excuses about corruption or poor governance, (insisting) this was somehow the consequence of neocolonialism, or the West has been oppressive, or racism," he told AllAfrica.com last week. "I'm not a believer in excuses."
Those sentiments led Obama to avoid his father's native
Later in the day, Obama planned to tour
While Michelle Obama's great-great grandfather was a slave in
The castle visit mirrored ones paid by Clinton and George W. Bush to the slave-trading post of
In
Bush's reception last year was less tumultuous, but equally warm. At a welcoming banquet, then-President John Kufuor noted huge increases in
Obama on Saturday, however, tried for a lower profile.
"The president wanted to use this visit to shine a light on Ghana and on what it is doing so successfully rather than on him," Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters.
Even so, Obama said previous
Obama — son of a Kenyan father and white mother from
Obama flew to
He also had a cordial first meeting with Pope Benedict XVI. In their half-hour private audience at the
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