In a speech to Ghana's parliament, US President Barack Obama told MPs, "Africa's future is up to Africans," adding "Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions".

The US leader said western aid must be matched by good governance and called on Africans to take greater responsibility for eradicating war, corruption and disease on the continent. President Obama acknowledged that colonialism had left deep scars and had contributed to conflicts in Africa but also said that western countries could not be blamed for the collapse of Zimbabwe's economy and the use of child soldiers.

However, he acknowledged that some problems, such as the genocide in Darfur and terrorism in Somalia, were global problems and needed a global response. Barack Obama, the first black US president, said Washington would do more to help battle disease and would continue to work in partnership with Africa.

It is Mr Obama's first visit to a sub-Saharan African country as president; he has already visited Egypt. Mr Obama said he chose Ghana as it was an example of a functioning democracy in a conflict-ridden continent. After his address to parliament, he visited Cape Coast Castle, once one of the main centres for shipping slaves to the Americans.