President Obama is making a trip to Africa after a long time while it remains to be seen whether Nelson Mandela’s condition, which is critical, improves or not.
With the exception of making a short stop in Ghana in 2009, Obama has only visited the continent once during his tenure as America’s President, this visit, according to many, is long overdue.
With this first leg kicking off in Senegal by a visit to Goree Island, America’s first Black President, in appreciating the significance of the moment, said, “It’s a very powerful moment…to be able to come here and to fully appreciate the magnitude of the slave trade, to get a sense in a very intimate way of the incredible inhumanity and hardship that people faced. More than anything what it reminds us of is that we have to remain vigilant when it comes to the defense of people’s human rights.”
The next leg of his visit will include stops at South Africa and Tanzania to build relationships with these African nations but also to promote economic opportunities that lie with these countries.
What is missing, not surprisingly, from the trip’s itinerary is a visit to his father’s place of birth, Kenya. With Kenya’s new President facing charges on war crimes, it makes the trip all that more awkward even if there are several relatives to visit.
However, with the visit to South Africa next on the agenda, what remains to be seen is if Obama’s hero, Nelson Mandela, recovers in time to meet the President.