11 July 2009 (BBC) Ghana was chosen because of its democratic track record and Mr Obama is expected to use the trip to promote good governance across the continent.
He will hold talks with President John Atta Mills and address the country’s parliament on the subject of democracy.
He is due to visit a former slave fort and a health centre in the capital, Accra, as part of his 24-hour visit.
The BBC’s Will Ross says President Obama will find it a challenge in the current economic climate to match some of the achievements of his predecessor, George W Bush, when it comes to health care in Africa, especially in the fight against HIV.
The visit to the slave fort at Cape Coast Castle will be a poignant moment for the country’s first African-American president and for his wife Michelle, whose ancestors are believed to have come from West Africa, our correspondent says.
Tight security
Posters of Barack and Michelle Obama are to be seen throughout Accra, where their arrival was eagerly awaited.
“ The dead can be buried later but Obama is here for once and we must pay all attention to him ”
Ama Benyiwaa Doe Ghanaian minister, explaining suspension of funerals in Cape Coast
On arrival, President Obama and his family were met by President Atta Mills, and treated to a colourful welcome featuring drummers and traditional dancers.
Ghanaian musicians have written songs to mark the visit and it is clear that millions of Ghanaians would love to see Mr Obama, our correspondent says.
However, there will be few opportunities for them to do so during his 24-hour stay.
When former President Bill Clinton came more than a decade ago, he addressed hundreds of thousands of cheering Ghanaians.
But post-9/11, security is tighter and all events are for invited guests only, our correspondent notes.
Key rings and umbrellas
Barack Obama visited sub-Saharan Africa while a US senator, making a trip to Kenya - his father’s homeland - in August 2006.
For Ghanaians, there is little doubt that they deserve to be Mr Obama’s 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 Obama’s father, experienced post-election violence. Ethiopia has jailed the leader of the opposition, and South Africa’s Jacob Zuma is new in the post and something of an unknown quantity.
Not only is Ghana clearly democratic, but it has some of the African oil on which the US increasingly depends, and there is the symbolic link with slavery, from which so many African-Americans trace their heritage.
So Ghana ticks Mr Obama’s boxes - a suitable stage on which to launch the president’s Africa policy on the continent itself.
Mr Obama’s official business on Saturday includes talks with Ghana’s president and a speech to parliament.
Ahead of the president’s arrival late on Friday, people were already out celebrating, dancing and drumming in the seaside city’s streets.
Memorabilia being sold by vendors ranged from key rings and coffee mugs to handkerchiefs and umbrellas bearing portraits of Mr Obama and Mr Atta-Mills.
Thousands of police have been deployed for the visit and a number of city roads were closed on Friday.
Cape Coast, a town about 160km (100 miles) west of Accra, has even suspended funerals on account of Mr Obama’s impending visit to its old slave fort.
“We banned all funeral activities in Cape Coast because we want to give a befitting welcome to the US president,” Ghana’s central regional minister, Ama Benyiwaa Doe, told AFP news agency.
“The dead can be buried later but Obama is here for once and we must pay all attention to him.” Squeeze on aid
Across the African continent, people are pinning a lot of hope on Barack Obama partly because of his African roots but also because of his election slogan, Yes We Can, our correspondent reports.
He arrived in Ghana hours after leaders of the G8 industrialised countries pledged billions of dollars to boost agriculture - the main source of income for many sub-Saharan Africans.
But the financial climate is different from when former President Bush was in office and American-funded programmes, such as the provision of medicine for people living with HIV, are facing new challenges.
July 11th, 2009 at 5:19 am
Mr. Obama should avoid any kind of cooperation with the ethnofascistic regime of Meles Zenawi and instead seek to forge cooperation with Ethiopians. That is how he can promote his country`s long term interests in Ethiopia and the region. Bush`s decision to embrace ethnofascism and use it as a mercenery force to stabilize Somlia and defeat terrorism has failed totally. The ethnofascist Meles Zenawi is terrorizing his own subjects and can not be a stabilizing force in the region. Mr. Obama needs to review the embarassing and failed policies of his predecessor and alighn his foreign policy with the forces of democracy, freedom and justice and demand the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisnoers in Ethiopia.
July 11th, 2009 at 6:44 am
All former US presidents have played a great role when it comes to their natve origins to promote peace and democracy. Remember Clinton his role in northern ireland,
Obama should take tough measure to promote peace and democracy in Africa. Failing to use this opportunity will put him the most regratable mistakes in his presidency. I am saying this simply because no white Us president can have moral obligation than Obama has when it comes to changing the face of africa.
Ethiopia shall prevail!
July 11th, 2009 at 7:25 am
ምነው የዚ ሰውዬ ስሙ እንደዚህ እላይ ወጣ ገና ምንም ሳይሰራ? እኔ የማደንቀው ተመርጦ ያለፈበትን ዲሞክራሲያዊ ሂደት እንጂ ግለሰቡን አይደለም::ግፋ ቢል በ አፍሪካ ለተሰበሰቡት ለ እያንዳንዱ ዲክታተር ዶላሩን ቢወረውር ነው እንጂ ሌላ ምን ሊፈጥር ይችላል::ላም አለኝ በሰማይ አሉ::ይልቁንስ ሚስተር ኦባማ ና ወደዚህ ወደ አገርህ ተመለስ ::እዚህ ስንት በድንቁርናና በችግር የሚንከወከው የሚንጦለጦሉ በ ድራግ የደነዘዙ :ለ ቤሳ በስቲን ብለው የሰው የሰው ነፍስ የሚያጠፉ ጥቁር ዘመዶችህን እርዳ:: ስለ አፍሪካ ምንም አትጨነቅ ::አፍሪካውያን ድህነትን የለመድነው ነው::እንደዛም ሆነን ተካፍለን እንኖራለን ::ስር-አትም አለን::ነገር ግን አራት መቶ አመት ጫካ ውስጥ የነበሩትን ሰው የሚባሉ አውሬ ዘመዶችህን መጥተህ አስተካክል::እስቲ የነሱን ጣጣ ጨርስና ነው መጀመሪያ ወደሌላው ማተኮር:: ወገኛ!
July 11th, 2009 at 7:32 am
There was panick and uncertainty in the rank and file of the ethnofascists when Mr. Obama won the US presidency. The propaganda machines of ethnofascism, aiga forum and ethiopia first aka Tigray first were trying to undercut the significance of his victory. The US foreign policy towards Ethiopia needs overhauling and the right moment to do so is now. It is immoral and poignant for the great democratic country like the US to support and finance ethnofascism which is killing, persecuting and repressing Ethiopians. The war on terrorism can not be won by propping up and strengthening fascism as applied by the Bush administration.
July 11th, 2009 at 7:53 am
Its Historic trip for oil,not for democracy.
July 11th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Ethiopia doesn’t need anything from USA and the world, But stopping the Sick, inferiority and evil Tigreans Ethnic policy in Ethiopia. This Tigrean unbelievable action is the very bad thing the world has to stop it. If not, soon the human race situation which is the worst one could happen. Tigreans Ethnic policy in the 21- century is the only/ source of problem we have. USA and the world need to stop them by stopping any support they are giving in the name of Tigry.
Barak Obama’s speech about visiting Africa.
“No leader is accepted if he/she is dividing and affecting the nation with Ethnicity.”
Meles Zenawi is the only leader with distance world record ruling the nation for 18 years with Ethnicsm . Ethnicism is the Tigrean system implementing in Ethiopia like capitalism elsewhere.
Mr. Obama is not much interested about Democracy as he did visit Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
What he is very much interested and his administration will fight it is, the Tigrean type of Ethnicism. Because Mr. Obama knows Ethnicism is the worst human behavior no normal human being can accept in the 21-century let alone implementing it. But the Sick Tigreans do.
Ethiopia under the vey minority Tigrians era is the only country on earth forced to accept an Ethnic regime with very biased and lies against reality and history of the nation under Meles Zenawi in the name of TPLF. This sick Tigrians are affecting the peace loving, living together for long time and innocent Ethiopians this way for their personal benefit. The Kilil issue they have created by themselves to take vast and fertile land from wollo and Gonder is the main reason for their Ethnic rule in our beloved country. They took the vast land from Gonder and wollo and conducted ethnic cleansing and then occupied it with hundreds thousands Tigrean settlement. Everything is known and recorded.
The Rwandan Ethnic massacre and any Ethnic conflict world wide are happened after this barbaric Tigreans started to use Ethnicism in Ethiopia.
Yet, the generous and God loving Ethiopian people didn’t/isn’t/ will not follow these snakes trap to affect each other with Ethnic conflicts.
This is the high time, we Ethiopians have to tell the USA administration, people and world wide how these 4% of Ethiopian population Tigrians are affecting the people with Ethnicity in the 21- century.
In USA and elsewhere are living together all races, Ethnic groups and religions coming all over the world. Yet the sick Tigreans are dividing the Ethiopian people that have the lowest Ethnic groups composition with population proportion based on Ethnicity which is coming from their very sick and evil brain to hurt the rest for their private benefit.
USA and others will not allow these sick Tigreans continuing playing the Ethnic card as they are doing for 18 years. As Mr. Obama has categorically said about those leaders who are playing with Ethnic division, we have to stop these Tigrean Criminals. The next Ethiopian election must be based on leadership not Ethnicity. Any part with specific Ethnic group name must be banned from participating in the election. This is the way working all over the world. In Ethiopia, we have to stop these criminals conducting any election in the name of Ethnicity and ruling the nation based on Ethnicism system.
By refusing and isolating the little and ugly criminal Meles Zenawis type who is ruling the nation based on Ethnicity doctrine, Mr. Obama is doing the best for Ethiopia. We especially the capable Ethiopians must expose to the world the woyane 18 years crimes in the name of Ethnicity.
Ethnicity specialist Tigreans Time will be soon over. Only those can lead and bring better life will rule Ethiopia. No race, No Ethnic and no religion rule USA. It is only the ability to lead. The Tigreans sick mentality must be healed this way or we/the world know what to do with them. If the world ignores or allows these sick Tigreans shameful and evil behavior, then soon the human race which is the worst one could occur world wide.
Ethnic policy must be eliminated from Ethiopia. Any party with Ethnic name on it must be rejected and those refused, must be eliminated. The world is working differently than the sick Tigreans that are affecting our nation for 18 years.
July 11th, 2009 at 9:45 am
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090711/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama
Obama declares to Africa: End tyranny, corruption
[[”Yes you can,” Barack Obama declared, brushing off his campaign slogan and adapting it for his foreign audience. Speaking to the Ghanaian Parliament, he called upon African societies to seize opportunities for peace, democracy and prosperity.
“This is a new moment of promise,” he said. “To realize that promise, we must first recognize a fundamental truth that you have given life to in Ghana: Development depends upon good governance. That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long. That is the change that can unlock Africa’s potential.”] ]
July 11th, 2009 at 9:52 am
President Obama has already said all, what Africa/Ethiopia needs.Democracy,The rule of law,Free Press,vibrant civil society,fair and free election,bulding all necsssary institutions,Tranceparency,peacefull rsolution of conflicts,empowering the use,producing food with appropriate technology,diversification of the economy and educating the use on the South Korean model etc.If these conditions are not fulfilled that particular country will be isolated from American assistance,be it, economic,diplomatic or political, and America will help those that strive to bring African countries to the membership of 21century global society.Tribalists,courrupt governments,tyriants, nepotism and genocidal rulers are to be isolated.Where does Melese stand as an ethiopian leader? Let him answer with his mouth piece Berket.
July 11th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Obama said, “Africa doesn’t need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.”
July 11th, 2009 at 11:09 am
side by side to his American policy towards and based on American interest in africa, he should interfere with the possible ways of removable of undemocratic and substituting wiht the better ones.
If mr.Obama electrifys African politics and able to reduce the number of crimes commited by individuals, then African people can look forward to better develoment and atleast know the world where and towards what is moving!
Ofcourse, if the African leaders are good listners and well understand, mr Obama is transmitting his overall message and the African people are hoping to see the hope for change in their ground.
July 11th, 2009 at 11:20 am
is there any democracy in ghana?? apparently not. i read an interesting article on jimmatimes about LIDETU and fake oppositions taking power in Ghana.
July 11th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Strong men are bad.They carry guns and rob.
July 11th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
It is very telling that The president addressed these leaders including
Meles, I’m sure Weyane Boss is feeling the heat under his rug, it is getting closer and pointed. Who Knows what will be next, Ethiopians should take courage and work for the next election, to make it clear to
the world that we are a CIVILISED people, not semi-savages (according to the immagination of the or enemies) their experiment is not working we should stand together and TAKE-CHARGE!
July 12th, 2009 at 5:15 am
Obama should condemn murders and killers like fascist Meles Zenawi. He should have avoided Meles Zenawi, a criminal who is murdering and imprisoning innocent citizens. Why is Obama tolerating the crimes of Zenawi?? Meles Zenawi has sent Birtukan Midekesa to the dungeons. Obama as a lawyer should personaaly protested the imprisonment Birtukan Midekesa. To me, President Bush was better than Obama. At least Bush was critical and was open. Bush did not criticize Meles Zenawi because of the war on terrorism in somalia. It was Bush who supported the armed struggle of South Sudan.
Obama is too comfortable with himself. I hope he helps Africa. I hope he supports ICC and also paves the way for a democratic governance in Ethiopia. What is Obama goping to do in the 2010 election in Ethiopia? Would Obama give material and moral to the democratic opposition in Ethiopia? It is puzzling at the moment because ethiopians are suffering and there is no sign that the Obama Administration will show any concern.
July 12th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
weyane #1 undemocatric government in africa. A minority 3 million tigrain rulling 90 million ethiopian.
Gemechu, gurmu ,aha! are tigrain. weyane carde. we know you. you are here to confuse ethiopian. we will come after you.
http://www.eppfonline.org/
July 12th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
ethiopian. be aware of weyane carde in our website who tries to confuse us.
http://www.eppfonline.org/
http://eastafro.com/
July 13th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
The EPLF also opposed the TPLF manifesto for independence on the grounds that Tigrai was an inegral part of Ethiopia and there was no justification for secession from Ethiopia. At this time, the EPLF was reluctant to support separatist movements in Ethiopia, not just as a matter of princople but for various other motives as well… [more excerpts will be posted later
http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/10314