Obama Urges Africa to Follow Spirit of Nelson Mandela, Pledges $7 Billion for Electricity
Local Editor
American President Barack Obama said on Sunday the United States would help push Africa to a path of prosperity and peace and urged it to follow the example of Nelson Mandela.
The president said Mandela's struggle against apartheid paved the way for freedom and opportunity well beyond South Africa's borders.
"Nelson Mandela showed us that one man's courage can move the world," Obama said.
The 94-year-old Mandela's condition struggling lung infection is "critical but stable".
However, protesters had gathered outside the university ahead of his speech, holding placards against US foreign policy reading "Obama mass killer" and "End drone wars now".
In Cape Town, the president announced a $7 billion US initiative to double access to electric power on a continent where only one in three people have electricity.
"I'm calling for America to up our game when it comes to Africa," he added, saying Washington would launch new trade missions and initiatives to promote investment, including the renewal of an agreement to cut tariffs on African exports to the United States.
Source: News Agencies, edited by website team
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