President Barack Obama is hailing a "new moment of promise" in Africa, using a historic visit
to urge all nations on the continent to establish their own identity in an increasingly interconnected world.
Speaking Saturday to the parliament of Ghana, Obama traced his own roots to the sub-continent. He declared: "I have the blood of Africa within me."
Obama, the first US African-American president, said that Washington has for far too long seen the nations of Africa as patrons rather than partners in world affairs, and said it's time for that to change.
The American president also told Africans on Saturday that Western aid must be matched by good governance as he urged them to take greater responsibility for stamping out war, corruption and disease plaguing the continent.
Fresh from a G8 summit where leaders agreed to spend $20 billion to improve food security in poor countries, Obama stressed that while the United States was ready to help,
Africans must take a leading role in sorting out their vast
array of problems.
"Development depends upon good governance," Obama said in his speech. "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. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans."
"As for America and the West, our commitment must be measured by more than just the dollars we spend. I have pledged substantial increases in our foreign assistance, which is in
Africa's interest and America's," He said.
"But the true sign of success is not whether we are a source of aid that helps people scrape by - it is whether we are partners in building the capacity for transformational change."
Reuters and AP contributed to the report
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