United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan and his wife Nane arrived in Accra on Tuesday night for a private visit to Ghana.

Ghana’s president John Agyekum Kufuor and his wife Theresa after they had been presented with bouquet by Miss Stephanie Antwi Boasiako and George Asenso-Owusu both pupils of Morning Star International Preparatory School in Accra.

President Kufuor then introduced Mr. Annan and his wife to the welcoming party, which included Vice President Aliu Mahama, Ministers of State, and Members of the Diplomatic Corps and officials of UN agencies in the country.

A programme drawn for the visit include a state banquet at the State House on Wednesday after talks with President Kufuor at the Castle, Osu. The UN Secretary-General would attend a durbar at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, Ghana’s second biggest city on Friday and have a private dinner with the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace.

The 10-day visit would include visits to other places and relatives.

Speaking at the airport on arrival, Mr Kofi Annan, urged Ghanaians to support the government to strengthen democratic rule in the country. "I am impressed with the current democratic dispensation and the rule of law in the country and urge all Ghanaians to support the government in its endeavour to strengthen democratic rule in the country."

He expressed his delight to be in Ghana and the reception accorded him, and said he was here to observe the socio-economic development in the country, travel around and meet relatives and friends Mr Annan said one of the major issues to be tackled by the UN within the next 12-18 months would be how to help solve the many conflicts on the African continent.

He mentioned the conflicts in Angola, Sudan and other countries, adding; "Africa is a continent in crisis". The UN Secretary General said the UN would also press hard for democratic development in Africa because these conflicts also affected peaceful countries on the continent, paints a bad picture and did not help to attract investments into Africa. He called on African leaders to help create the environment that would help attract investments into the continent.

President John Agyekum Kufuor, who was at the airport to meet Mr Annan, said there was the need for African countries to co-operate with each other to pull themselves out of conflict and stagnation to meet the aspirations of their people.

He said the aspirations of many progressive African countries were development and the way forward was democracy.