Africans and African-Americans alike have been almost delirious with joy following his electoral victory.

The election of Obama gives people of African origin, who often have been victims of racists worldwide, a chance to at least correct the theories that propagate the  inherent incapacity of 'Negroid' peoples to think, which they attribute to the presence of melanin.
That aside, the election of Obama should not distract Africans from a realistic appreciation of the potential challenges that an Obama Presidency could bring.

Much has been said about the historicity of this moment. Perhaps the excitement ought to be tempered with a bit of realism. Africans should be warned not to confuse the individual talents of Obama, with the efficacy of the American system. The issues that might endear Obama to the African people are: -

Obama should first of all introduce programmes to improve the sad condition of the majority of people of African origin in the United States.

We believe that the situation that African and Native Americans and other minorities find themselves in needs to be drastically improved. Institutionalised racism cannot be defeated by one story of the  personal triumph reflected in the Obama story. Rather, Obama's success offers an opportunity to help re-orient the race agenda so that the marginalised minorities may be brought into the mainstream.

Obama should then move the African agenda further up on the world stage. We believe it is time to bring the debate about the protectionism of the West back onto the world agenda. Accepting Africa's request for equitable trade relations may prove difficult for Obama as an American president, but he should at least try if he wants to really fight world poverty.

President Obama should take a greater interest in helping to find solutions to problems on the African continent - among them hunger, poverty, war and HIV/AIDS -than his predecessor. This he cannot achieve by following George Bush's style that emanates from the "You listen and do as I say" mentality.

Africa's conflicts are usually very complex and require a special understanding of African circumstances. The US cannot dictate, but rather needs to create and nurture partnerships with regional bodies and make them accountable to the pacts that they formed.

This is because the US cannot claim to be blameless in many of Africa's conflicts. Many of them continue because of the US's complicity.

We would also like to warn those activists worldwide who want to fight for a much more equitable world not to be lulled into a false sense of security by the Obama presidency.

                                             Today's Thought
Elections are about choosing sides, but inaugurations are about closing ranks.

                                          -  Ted Kulongoski

This day is as much a day for the inauguration of the new government as it is a day of salute for a generation that pulled our country out of the abyss and placed it on the pedestal of hope on which it rests today.

-  Thabo Mbeki