President Obama plans to venture to Africa this week, and ahead of his journey has warned leaders he will insist they stop hiding behind excuses and begin to clean up the regions governments.

Politico reported:

Ahead of a historic visit to Africa later this week, President Obama is warning government officials there that it’s time for “African leadership to take responsibility and be held accountable” for the performance of their governments…

In an interview with AllAfrica.com, Obama notes, “I’d say I’m probably as knowledgeable about African history as anybody who’s occupied my office. And I can give you chapter and verse on why the colonial maps that were drawn helped to spur on conflict, and the terms of trade that were uneven emerging out of colonialism.”

“And yet the fact is we’re in 2009,” he continues. “The West and the United States has not been responsible for what’s happened to Zimbabwe’s economy over the last 15 or 20 years. It hasn’t been responsible for some of the disastrous policies that we’ve seen elsewhere in Africa. And I think that it’s very important for African leadership to take responsibility and be held accountable.”