My father, Ghana's first President Kwame Nkrumah, was a trendsetter in more ways than one. One of his most outstanding legacies was a political commitment to African continental unity. The Arabic-speaking states of North Africa were, in his vision, no less African than those predominantly non-Arab states south of the Sahara. With his initial encouragement, Arabs have since become active participants in the politics of Africa. Nkrumah's was no easy mission.

The new big thing in Africa isn't America, it is China. And, for that reason African leaders converged on Beijing this week. On paper, at least, there is a plan. When African leaders headed for the Chinese capital Beijing this week for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation FOCAC, they were presented with an attractive package. China has pledged $3 billion in preferential loans to Africa and $2 billion in export credit. Beijing also plans to train 15,000 African professionals in China. It is estimated that some 2,700 deals were clinched during the first ever Sino-African summit that took place 4- 6 November. In Beijing the race is on for courting Africa.

The UN calls for peace in Darfur as Sudan's neighbour's concerns about the spillover impact of the world's worst humanitarian crisis gathers pace. These are heady days for Sudan. The country is waging wars in its far-flung provinces that it cannot win. To be fair, peace deals have been signed with easterners and southerners by the central government in Khartoum.