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Obama to make first African visit in July

Nice choice for first African nation to visit, Kenya would have been too obvious.

ACCRA (Reuters) - Barack Obama will visit Africa for the first time since being sworn in as the first black U.S. president when he travels to Ghana in July, a trip many Africans hope will herald powerful help for their poor continent.

Ghanaians celebrated Washington's decision to choose their country for Obama's presidential debut in Africa, where he is a hugely popular figure.

They said the visit represents a chance for Ghana, which expects to start producing oil in 2011, to press its claims for greater engagement with the West.