ACCRA (Reuters) - Melania Trump arrived in Ghana on Tuesday, choosing for her first extended international trip alone to visit Africa, a continent her husband has referred to derisively.
The U.S. first lady touched down at mid-morning in Ghana's capital, Accra, where she was greeted by the country's first lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, and a young girl who offered her flowers.
A welcoming ceremony of drums and dancing by men and women dressed in traditional attire followed. Trump clapped her hands and waved at a group of school children waiting for her at the airport.
Trump then visited child health facilities and met caregivers during her stay in the capital. She has focussed on children as her signature issue and plans to promote child well-being during her four-country tour, which will include stops in Kenya, Malawi and Egypt.
President Donald Trump has not visited Africa since taking office in 2017, but he has reportedly said immigrants from Africa came from "shithole countries". He denied making the remark.
More recently, he said on Twitter, he had asked his Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, "to closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and large scale killing of farmers."
South Africa has proposed land reforms but not implemented them. Forty-seven farmers were killed in 2017-2018 -- a 20-year low, according to AgriSA, an association of agricultural associations.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Kwasi Kpodo)