US president Barack Obama told Ethiopia's leaders yesterday that allowing more political freedoms would strengthen the African nation, which had already lifted millions out of a poverty once rooted in recurring famine. Obama was speaking after talks with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on the first trip by a US president to Ethiopia, one of Africa's fastest-growing economies, which is often criticised for its rights record. He gave a similar message in Kenya last week at the start of his Africa tour, stressing the importance of human rights amid economic progress.Ethiopia's opposition failed to secure a single seat in a May parliamentary election, drawing scepticism from Washington, which has also criticised Ethiopia's detention of bloggers and journalists. The government insists that those detained have committed crimes.Obama said: "The governing party has significant breadth and popularity and, as a consequence, making sure to open additional space for journalists or media or opposition voices will strengthen rather than inhibit the agenda that the prime minister and the ruling party have put forward."Hailemariam acknowledged his country was a "young democracy" that had more to do, but said he had "minor differences" with America about the speed of that process. He said Ethiopia needed journalists to be ethical and not have ties to violent groups.Obama's careful phrasing, noting economic progress amid political restrictions, drew some criticism from opponents."The Americans know [the situation] but they are cautiously looking away," said Merara Gudina, vice-chairman of the Medrek opposition coalition. "They choose to wine and dine with dictators instead."Maya Foa of the rights group Reprieve criticised Obama's reference to "a democratically elected government", saying this was "woefully misplaced".Ethiopia, run by Hailemariam's ruling party for a quarter of a century, is on track for 10% growth this year, helping transform a nation that was brought to its knees by communist purges in the 1970s and famine in the 1980s.Obama's Africa tour, which began on Friday in his father's homeland Kenya, also aims to boost trade and business with a continent where China overtook the US as the biggest trade partner in 2009.Obama said further steps to put pressure on South Sudan's warring rivals would be considered if the two sides failed to reach a deal to end the conflict by an August 17 deadline. A US official said these steps might include sanctions. ..