As he wrapped up his trip to Africa, President Obama used his tenure to take on one of the continent’s most enduring obstacles to democratic progress: its history of one-man rule by presidents and potentates who enrich themselves and cling to power for years.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — President Obama jabbed at the power structures of Africa on Tuesday by calling for long-entrenched leaders to step down, using off-the-cuff remarks about his own political standing and his stature as the first U.S. president with African roots to try to reshape the continent’s politics.
“I actually think I’m a pretty good president,” Obama told diplomats from across Africa, departing from his prepared text to present himself as a model for giving up power when term limits are reached.