First Lady Michelle Obama debuted a new haircut as she and President Obama enjoyed a country music concert — featuring Charley Pride, Brad Paisley, Alison Krauss, and Union Station — in the East Room of the White House on Tuesday.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
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Barack Obama is making his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa since taking office, visiting a nation chosen for its democratic record, Ghana.
The US president will deliver a speech outlining his hope that good governance can flourish across the continent.
He will also visit a historic slave castle alongside his wife Michelle, a descendant of African slaves.
People have poured into the capital, Accra, for a glimpse of the president during his 24-hour stay in Ghana.
Mr Obama arrived in the capital late on Friday, fresh from a G8 summit in Italy where the world’s eight most powerful nations agreed on a $20bn (£12.3bn) fund to bolster agriculture – the main source of income for many sub-Saharan Africans.
Just before leaving for the Ghanian capital, Accra, he said: "There is no reason why Africa cannot be self-sufficient when it comes to food".
He said Ghana had been chosen for the visit because of its strong track record of democracy and stability.
He is also scheduled to hold talks with President John Atta Mills.
"Part of the reason that we’re travelling to Ghana is because you’ve got there a functioning democracy, a president who’s serious about reducing corruption and you’ve seen significant economic growth."
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 everywhere in Accra, where their arrival was eagerly awaited.
The White House reported that over 5,000 Africans had sent text message to the US president ahead of the visit.
ANALYSISOn 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.
Barack Obama visited sub-Saharan Africa while a US senator, making a trip to Kenya – his father’s homeland – in August 2006. 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." </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
US president praises host Ghana as model for prosperity and says continent’s era of corrupt ‘strongman’ governments must end
In his first visit to Africa since taking office, Barack Obama said today that the continent of his ancestors must overcome tyranny and corruption if it is to flourish.
Speaking in Ghana’s parliament, Obama said the key to Africa’s future prosperity was democratic and accountable government.
“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,” he said.
In an tough speech aimed at politicians across the continent, he gave an unsentimental account of squandered opportunities since the end of colonial rule. “No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves, or police can be bought off by drug traffickers,” he said.
“No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20% off the top … No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy, that is tyranny, and now is the time for it to end.
“Africa doesn’t need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.”
Obama conceded that colonialism had left a legacy of conflicts and arbitrary borders. “But the west is not to blame for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants.
“Africa is not the crude caricature of a continent at war,” he said. “But for far too many Africans conflict is a part of life, as constant as the sun. There are wars over land and wars over resources. And it is still far too easy for those without conscience to manipulate whole communities into fighting among faiths and tribes.”
Earlier, after meeting Ghana’s president, John Atta Mills, Obama praised the country’s record of democracy and economic growth as a rare success in a continent beset by corruption and poor governance.
“We think that Ghana can be an extraordinary model for success throughout the continent.”
This morning, Obama was given a hero’s welcome in the country’s capital, Accra. Thousands of people wearing Obama T-shirts thronged the streets, cheering and waving as his motorcade swept past.
Walls and utility poles were plastered with posters of Obama and Mills, as well as the word “change” – the mantra of Obama’s presidential election campaign. Other posters showed the president and his wife, Michelle, with the greeting “Ghana loves you”.
Obama and his family arrived late last night from the G8 summit in Italy, where the world’s richest nations agreed on a $20bn (£12.4bn) food security plan to help poor nations feed themselves during the global recession.
Speaking in Italy before he left, Obama said: “There is no reason why Africa cannot be self-sufficient when it comes to food.”
The Obamas will visit Gold Coast Castle, a former British slave trading post. Michelle Obama is a great-great granddaughter of slaves.
The visit comes as the US plans a much more assertive policy in Africa, using both diplomacy and the threat of force to end the protracted conflicts in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria, which are seen as two of the main obstacles to the continent’s progress.
“This is both a special and an important visit for him personally as president, but also for our country to articulate a vision for Africa,” said Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesman.
Despite the enthusiastic reception from ordinary Ghanians, no major public events have been planned during Obama’s 21-hour visit, for fear it could cause a celebratory stampede, as almost happened during a 1998 stop by Bill Clinton.
Barack Obama, the first African-American president, is due in Ghana shortly on his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as US leader.
Ghana was chosen because of its democratic track record and Mr Obama is expected to use the trip to promote democracy across the continent.
He is due to visit a former slave fort as part of the 24-hour visit.
Posters of Barack and Michelle Obama dot the capital, Accra, where their arrival is 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
Musicians have written songs to mark the event and it is clear that millions of Ghanaians would love to see Mr Obama, the BBC’s Will Ross reports from the city.
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.
ANALYSISFor 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.
With the US president due to touch down 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 Ghana’s President John 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 arrives 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 in Africa it will not be easy for Mr Obama to live up to some of the achievements of his predecessor, George W Bush, Will Ross adds.
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. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
The first family started their day at the Vatican, and ended it in Ghana.
For her arrival in Africa, Michelle Obama wore a classic look: a slim-fitting black dress, a strand of pearls, and her hair in a bun.
See photos below. The slideshow w…
Amid the anticipated media narrative, of Ghana excitedly welcoming the first Black President on his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa, many are also wondering about the substance.
Today, Gay Pride. Last week, Glastonbury. Wherever the masses gather, it seems, Sarah Brown is also to be found, smiling for cameras whilst twittering merrily away.
The omnipresence of the prime minister’s wife has been startling in recent weeks. Whether at first lady Michelle Obama’s side, or posing with socialite heiress Paris Hilton, or updating her 300,000 Twitter followers on her home-grown strawberries, Mrs Brown is everywhere.
“Clearly, they think it is a worthwhile attempt at softening Gordon’s image. And they have to do it, because Cameron is so good at this soft stuff,” said Danny Rogers, editor of PR Week.
So, has Downing Street unleashed its most effective weapon to save Project Gordon? As her embattled husband’s popularity wanes, hers soars. Never before has a No 10 spouse been so, apparently, accessible.
But opinions over her motives are divided. The prime minister’s advisers will tell you there is no agenda, beyond promoting her charities. At Glastonbury, with model Naomi Campbell, she was raising awareness of the White Ribbon Alliance, the international charity on maternal mortality. Twitter – her idea – is just one more effective tool.
Friends concur, dismissing suggestions of a “cynical marketing ploy”. Kathy Lette, the Australian novelist and a friend for many years, said: “The only reason she didn’t tweet before is because it wasn’t invented.
“She’s a natural communicator. She thinks it’s hysterical that I am so technologically retarded and can’t tweet. I prefer carrier pigeon.
“So this is not some desperate attempt to make Gordon more appealing. It’s just her natural instinct to communicate good positive messages about her charitable passions like maternal morality. The woman should be rushing off for a halo fitting.”
Though still short of Barack Obama’s reported 1.3 million followers, her Twitter friends include Queen Rania of Jordan, presenters Davina McCall, Emma Freud and Stephen Fry, DJ Chris Moyles, actor Kevin Spacey, and comedian Eddie Izzard.
But no one can forget she is a consummate PR, widely regarded as one of the best before she ditched her career and maiden name to marry the future prime minister.
The veteran PR Max Clifford sees her recent “visibility” as a “deliberate ploy by a very loyal wife”. He said: “It is a personal one-woman marketing campaign to get to know the thoughts and feelings of as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, because her husband isn’t getting very good advice as to what the public think or feel.”
A natural networker, the friendships she has struck with Mrs Obama and Carla Bruni, wife of the French president, could stand her husband in good stead for a job on the international stage. Some believe she is laying the groundwork for a dignified exit from No 10.
Yet, others are bemused by her approach. One in her circle believes her tweets make her come across as an “airhead – which she most certainly is not”.
Aside from the charity and issue messages, they reveal very little of the real Mrs Brown. Never unguarded – she has been described as having an in-built censor – little can be gleaned beyond that she likes getting out in the sunshine and trips to the beach in Fife.
She’s “excited” about her strawberries, spends time baking and making cookies going to London Zoo, and when she’s not telephone chatting with girlfriends she enjoys watching “BGT” – Britain’s Got Talent – and the Eurovision song contest.
Anything remotely political is avoided. Indeed she displayed an almost Neroesque attitude to the maelstrom that consumed her husband during his frenetic cabinet reshuffle.
Thus, as the work and pensions secretary James Purnell resigned and the chancellor Alistair Darling contemplated whether he might have need of a removals firm, she was tweeting about going to the cinema – albeit for a worthy screening on the plight of the world’s fish stocks – and how much she loved Twitter.
But she has also used it as an effective air-brushing tool. “Finished day with amazing British vets at Arromanches – kept thanking us for coming when we should thank them,” she tweeted, ignoring the muffled boos that greeted the prime minister in Normandy on the 65th D-Day anniversary last month.
Likewise her tweet “Quite a moment with the Gurkhas and their families in Downing Street garden out in the beautiful sunshine” belied no hint of the bludgeoning Brown had sustained at the hands of deadly Gurkha campaigner Joanna Lumley.
“She is formidable,” said Ross Furlong, digital PR specialist who is still in awe of her performance when she stepped out to introduce her husband at the Labour party conference. “I couldn’t work out how he could avoid getting a kicking, then she stepped in.”
But, he warned, people want a genuine portrait of a person. “If she is just purely doing her PR spin, then people might start to question it online. In a sense, you can miss a trick by not being personal enough.”
Danny Rogers agreed. “These are powerful tools,” he said. But she was in danger of trying to be all things to all people, “one minute with Paris Hilton, the next home cooking with the kids.
“My advice to her would be, be yourself, be open and join the conversation. And don’t try to be something you’re not, because it is an unforgiving medium. People will see through it and there will be a backlash.”
Sarah Brown may be a regular Tweeter, but she divulges very little about life with husband Gordon inside No 10, as this selection from her Twitter site demonstrates.
• “Have emerged from a weekend of gardening, baking cakes and cookies”
• “Am loving Twitter conversation on Eurovision – almost better than the TV coverage”
• “Peppers and tomatoes are shooting up”
• “Too much girlfriend chatting on phone last night – and BGT (Britain’s Got Talent) – and I missed out on Tweeting”
