Obama meets Ghana's leader

ACCRA (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama met Ghana's democratically elected president on Saturday on a visit to Africa that will emphasise his message on the importance of good governance and accountability.

It is Obama's first visit to sub-Saharan Africa since he took office as the first African American president of the United States.

Obama and John Atta Mills shook hands as they met outside the presidential palace and stood side by side while a military band played the U.S. and Ghanaian national anthems. The leaders then inspected a military honour guard.

Ghana was chosen because it symbolises an Africa different to the old images of war, misery and corruption. Mills was elected in a peaceful, transparent vote last December that set an example for the continent.

Economic reforms in the cocoa and gold producing country, set to begin pumping oil next year, also helped bring unprecedented investment and growth before the impact of the global financial crisis.

Along the streets of Accra, walls and utility poles were plastered with posters of side-by-side portraits of Obama and Mills and the word "change" -- the mantra of Obama's presidential election campaign.

Thousands of people wearing Obama t-shirts thronged the streets, cheering as the president's motorcade swept past. Obama is a hero on the continent because of his roots as the son of a Kenyan immigrant.

"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 White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

"He knows there's a lot of enthusiasm on the continent for his visit but also for our special partnership."

Africa has not been a top priority for an administration grappling with the global financial crisis.

Few expect a shift in policy and the main message will be on the importance of good governance and the wise use of aid, such as the G8 commitment made in Italy to spend $20 billion on improving food security in poor countries.

Africa was one of the few parts of the world where U.S. President George W. Bush won friends, for overseeing a significant increase in aid.

But U.S. policy in Africa faces a growing challenge from China's push into the continent in search of resources and markets. Some governments welcome the fact that Chinese aid and investment comes without the conditions set by the West.

Obama was due to address parliament on Saturday before visiting Cape Coast Castle, a fort used in the trans-atlantic slave trade. He and his family will spend less than 24 hours in Ghana before returning to the United States.

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