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ACCRA,
Ghana, July 11, 2009 — Barack Obama arrived in Ghana on Friday on his
first trip to sub-Saharan African since taking office to a red carpet
welcome with thousands lining the streets to catch a glimpse of
America's first black president.
Obama, the son of an African immigrant, was welcomed at Kotoka
international airport in the oceanside capital Accra by Ghana's
President John Atta-Mills to traditional Ashante drumming, ululating and
dances.
The president and his wife Michelle, a descendant of African
slaves, stepped down from the plane holding their daughters' hands.
Thousands of excited Ghanaians ringed the route hoping to witness
the start of a landmark visit.
During the 24-hour visit, Obama was expected to push his vision
on good governance and economic development for Africa, hours after
securing a 20 billion dollar fund to feed the world's hungry during a G8
summit in Italy.
From as early as 8:00 am (0800 GMT), police had blocked off some
of the major roads in Accra, including the route to the airport, for
ordinary motorists.
On Saturday Obama and his wife were due to tour Cape Coast
Castle, one of Africa's biggest former slave trading posts.
Authorities in Cape Coast, a town some 160 kilometers (100 miles)
west of Accra, banned all funerals this weekend for the visit.
Ghana's central regional minister Ama Benyiwaa Doe told AFP: "The
dead can be buried later, but Obama is here for once and we must pay all
attention to him."
Bookshops in Accra, meanwhile, were stocked with piles of Obama's
"The Audacity of Hope" book. And larger-than-life posters of Obama and
Atta-Mills with the slogan "partnership for change" and "akwaaba"
(native for welcome) were omnipresent.
Obama picked Ghana for his maiden visit to the region as it is
one of the few success stories on the continent in terms of democracy
and prosperity.
He described it as a functioning democracy with peaceful and
successful elections in the past 10 years.
Obama will be the third consecutive US leader to travel to Ghana
in under a decade. Historically, Ghana was also the first black African
country to break free from its colonial shackles in 1957.
Obama will address Ghana's parliament about democracy and
development, but wants the latest of his series of key foreign policy
speeches to be heard right across the African continent.
Atta-Mills took office in January after one of the closest votes
the country has seen -- winning by less than one percent of the vote.
But the choice of Ghana has riled other countries in Africa and
cast a spotlight on issues that some governments would sweep under the
carpet.
Kenya's leading daily The Nation said Obama had dealt a "public
snub" with his decision to visit Ghana rather than the land of his
forefathers.
Nigerians meanwhile were vexed that Obama was leaving out what
they call the giant of Africa, with its population of 140 million people
and its huge oil resources.
Formerly known as the Gold Coast, Ghana, a country of 23 million
people, is best known for its cocoa and gold.
Source: AFP
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