For too many Africans, “conflict is a part of life,” President Obama told Ghana’s Parliament on Saturday.

“There are wars over land and wars over resources. And it is still far too easy for those without conscience to manipulate whole communities into fighting among faiths and tribes,” Obama said.

“These conflicts are a millstone around Africa’s neck. Africa’s diversity should be a source of strength, not a cause for division,” he added.

Obama stressed that the United States had a responsibility to support “development that provides opportunity for more people.” He noted that Africa is rich in resources, and has the capacity for successful business.

However, he added: “Dependence on commodities — or on a single export — concentrates wealth in the hands of the few, and leaves people too vulnerable to downturns.”

“History shows that countries thrive when they invest in their people and infrastructure, when they promote multiple export industries, develop a skilled workforce, and create space for small and medium-sized businesses that create jobs.”

Obama said the United States has committed $63 billion to a global, comprehensive health strategy.

“Building on the strong efforts of President [George W.] Bush, we will carry forward the fight against HIV/AIDS. We will pursue the goal of ending deaths from malaria and tuberculosis, and we will work to eradicate polio.

“We will fight neglected tropical disease. And we won’t confront illnesses in isolation — we will invest in public health systems that promote wellness, and focus on the health of mothers and children,” Obama said.

Obama praised the African nation for working to put its democratic government on a firmer footing, with peaceful transfers to powers. Obama stressed that all nations must support “strong and sustainable” governments.

“History offers a clear verdict: Governments that respect the will of their own people are more prosperous, more stable, and more successful than governments that do not,” he told Ghana’s Parliament.

The visit by the first African-American president in the United States sparked a frenzy in the country as street vendors sold miniature U.S. flags, and massive billboards with pictures of a smiling Obama and “akwaaba, ” the local word for welcome, were set up in the capital city. Watch how Ghana is celebrating Obama’s visit »

“People in Ghana are printing clothes for this occasion,” said Adrian Landry, general manager of a beach hotel in Accra.

“The fact that his father is African and he picked us makes us special,” he said. “He is endorsing our strong democracy in Ghana. This is historic.”

Obama’s speech Saturday didn’t just focus on Ghana. Obama said that much of Africa’s promise is going unfulfilled, and he pointed to Kenya — where his father was born — as an example.

“Countries like Kenya, which had a per-capita economy larger than South Korea’s when I was born, have been badly outpaced. Disease and conflict have ravaged parts of the African continent. In many places, the hope of my father’s generation gave way to cynicism, even despair,” he said.

Before Saturday’s speech, Obama said he picked Ghana partly because of its commitment to democracy.

“By traveling to Ghana, we hope to highlight the effective governance that they have in place,” he said in an interview with AllAfrica.com.

Obama’s visit to the nation is the third by a sitting American president. Bill Clinton was the first U.S. president to visit Ghana in 1998 as part of a six-nation Africa tour. Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush, stopped there as part of a four-nation Africa tour during his last year of office.

Obama, who recently attended the G-8 summit in Italy, will not visit any other country in the continent during the trip. – CNN