African Union

VIDEO: Ethiopians react to President Obama's visit

Obama urged the continent's leaders to prioritise creating jobs and opportunity for the next generation of young people or risk sacrificing future economic potential to further instability and disorder.

It was the first speech to the AU by a sitting American president.

Obama's visit raises Ethiopia's stature amid rights concerns

Grave concerns remain, however, over political freedoms in this nation of more than 90 million — Africa's second largest — and opposition figures fear that the visit, coming on the heels of an improbable 100 percent ruling party win in elections, will give international legitimacy to a repressive government.