Barack Obama arrived in Ghana on Friday on his first trip to sub-Saharan African since taking office to a red carpet welcome with thousands lining the streets to catch a glimpse of Americas first black president.Obama, the son of an African immigrant, was welcomed at Kotoka international airport in the oceanside capital Accra by Ghanas President John Atta-Mills to traditional Ashante drumming, ululating and dances.The president and his wife Michelle, a descendant of African slaves, stepped down from the plane holding their daughters hands.Thousands of excited Ghanaians ringed the route hoping to witness the start of a landmark visit.During the 24-hour visit, Obama was expected to push his vision on good governance and economic development for Africa, hours after securing a 20 billion dollar fund to feed the worlds hungry during a G8 summit in Italy.On Saturday Obama and his wife were due to tour Cape Coast Castle, one of Africas biggest former slave trading posts.Authorities in Cape Coast, a town some 160 kilometres (100 miles) west of Accra, banned all funerals this weekend for the visit.Obama picked Ghana for his maiden visit to the region as it is one of the few success stories on the continent in terms of democracy and prosperity.He described it as a functioning democracy with peaceful and successful elections in the past 10 years.Obama will be the third consecutive US leader to travel to Ghana in under a decade. Historically, Ghana was also the first black African country to break free from its colonial shackles in 1957.Obama will address Ghanas parliament about democracy and development, but wants the latest of his series of key foreign policy speeches to be heard right across the African continent
