‘Africa helped shaped who I am’

US President Barack Obama greets AU Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma at the end of his remarks at the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo: Jonathan Ernst

US President Barack Obama greets AU Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma at the end of his remarks at the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo: Jonathan Ernst

Published Jul 28, 2015

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Addis Ababa -The packed conference hall erupted into applause on Tuesday afternoon as Barack Obama entered the main venue of the African Union, becoming the first sitting US president ever to visit the organisation’s headquarters in Addis Ababa.

African Union Commission Chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma opened the event with a speech on the ties linking Obama, the son of a Kenyan father, to Africa.

“Although we welcome you as the President of the United States,” she said, “we also see you as one of our own.”

In his own speech, Barack Obama didn’t take long to mention his African heritage, noting that the continent and its people “helped shape who I am and how I see the world”.

But of all the subjects he addressed, the international audience cheered the loudest when Obama discussed human rights and good governance.

He pointed to leaders who refuse to step down at the end of their terms in office, singling out Burundi in particular. “I have to be honest with you – I just don’t understand this,” Obama said, joking about looking forward to more personal freedom after his time in office ends next year.

In calling for stronger democracies, Obama did not spare his Ethiopian host, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, who had been seated beside him at the front of the conference hall. Some Ethiopian journalists cheered when he asserted that the country “cannot unleash the full potential of its people if it jails journalists or restricts legitimate opposition groups from participating in the campaign process”.

The US president praised African governments for recent development successes and economic growth on the continent, but warned that “many of these gains rest on a fragile foundation” due to wealth disparities and a booming youth population that threatens to worsen unemployment crises.

He also pointed to the dangers of terrorism across the continent, commending the AU for its peacekeeping efforts and pledging to push for more support for African defence at a United Nations summit this fall.

Following his address, audience members lauded the president’s message and delivery.

“I loved the speech overall. Everybody loves Barack Obama; he’s a powerful orator,” said Aida Opoku-Mensah, a Ghanaian adviser to the executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, adding that she appreciated the focus on youth empowerment and women’s rights.

Obama will now head home to Washington DC following an historic five-day trip to first Kenya and then Ethiopia.

ANA

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