US President Barack Obama's condemnation of Africa's "big men" resonated across the continent, creating a chorus of calls Monday for better governance in countries from Nigeria to Zimbabwe.
Obama received an ecstatic welcome during his one-day visit Saturday with huge crowds lining the streets of Ghana's capital Accra, where he urged Africans to demand stronger government in order to seize control of their own future.
But as the euphoria died down after the visit by the first African-American president, many nations were left soul-searching over their own track records -- no where more so than in Kenya, the homeland of Obama's father.
Obama's decision to make his first visit south of the Sahara in Ghana again drew attention to last year's post-election violence in Kenya and the problems of corruption in a country once seen as a development success story.
"The general feeling is that Obama is 'punishing' the Kenya government for its slow pace of reforms and its unwillingness to deal with corruption," a Daily Nation opinion piece read.
"Wouldn?t it be wonderful if he could visit a Kenya that is strong, thriving and bursting with optimism, rather than one that is on its knees begging for assistance?" the Kenyan paper said.
Obama called for redefining donors' aid relationship with Africa, but insisted that broader investment and trade would require nations across the continent to build more solid institutions.
"He made an important and unprecedented pronouncement for the whole of Africa of partnership based on mutual respect in which Africans take their destiny into their own hands," said Emmanuel Akwetey, director of Ghana's Institute for Democratic Governance.
"By asking Africa to own up to its under-development instead of shifting the blame to colonialism, Obama has thrown a challenge to Africa which we should take seriously."
US policy on Africa already made significant changes under former president George W Bush, who last year tripled US spending to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria -- mainly in Africa -- to 48 billion dollars.
A Bush-era trade law helped Africa triple its exports to the United States since 2000, rising to 51.1 billion dollars in 2007, mostly due to rising oil exports from Angola and Nigeria.
But the expectations among Africans are much higher from the first African-American president, whose criticism also seemed to cut more deeply even as his personal success story drew uniform admiration.
"By setting out the responsibilities that Africa must assume, in order to put its house in order or risk deepening its marginalisation, he responded to the expectations placed in him by millions of Africans," wrote Adam Gaye, in Senegal's private Wal Fadjri newspaper.
In Zimbabwe, a nation Obama singled out for both its economic collapse and its efforts at political reform, his message was seen as a encouragement in the struggle for democracy.
"We believe it's an inspirational message," said Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for the Movement for Democratic Change, which joined a unity government this year after a decade of struggle against President Robert Mugabe.
"It's encouraging to all those who are fighting for democracy, to all those who are hoping to have Africa as a contninent with development and goals particularly the young generation."
But on some of the most challenging issues facing Africa, the response so far has been an awkward silence -- especially on Obama's insistence that the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region amounted to genocide.
African leaders just two weeks ago announced they would ignore an international war crimes warrant for Sudan's President Omar al-Beshir, something Obama's speech seems to have done nothing to change.
