US President Barack Obama says that his first official trip to sub-Saharan Africa aims at reminding the conflict-marred continent of its indispensable role.

The president and his family arrived in the Ghanaian capital of Accra late on Friday at the end of a brief world tour in a move that Obama said should be acknowledged as a break from other US presidents, who usually did not include the continent in their global itinerary despite official weeklong visits.

"What happens here has an impact everywhere," Obama told Ghanaian President John Atta Mills, confirming that the timing of the visit at the end of his overseas trip was not coincidental.

"We wanted to make sure to come to an African country after the G8 and after my business in Moscow to emphasize that Africa is not separate from world affairs."

Obama, the son of a Kenyan immigrant, is viewed as a hero in Africa and received a fitting greeting upon arrival. Thousands of hopeful Ghanaians gathered for a chance to catch a glimpse of his arrival.

The tight post-9/11 security, however, prevented many of the fans from getting close enough to cheer the leader who has now become a legend in his own right as the first elected African-American president of the United States.

Obama will deliver a speech at the country's parliament on the importance of good governance. He will also tour the oceanfront fort of Cape Coast Castle, which was once used to ship slaves to the Americas.

In recent years, Ghana has become, in the words of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, "a rare and admirable example" of democracy in Africa, where long-standing civil conflicts, wars, and freefalling economy coupled with a range of other crises have crippled the continent.

In an interview with AllAfrica.com ahead of the journey, Obama linked his choice of the West African country to the issue of democracy as well the implementation of the rule of law by the current leader, who was elected in an election praised for its peaceful transition of power.

"Part of the reason that we're traveling to Ghana is because you've got there a functioning democracy, a president who's serious about reducing corruption, and you've seen significant economic growth," Obama said before leaving Italy where he met with major industrial powers at a G8 summit.

Ghana is not alone in distancing itself from a violent history. Botswana, Namibia and South Africa have secured better-than-average global scores for their governance in the rankings released by the World Bank.

By Staff reporter and agencies