German President Horst Koehler left here on Sunday for a visit to southern African countries.

The visit had been scheduled to take place in November last year, but postponed due to election crisis in Germany.

Koehler will visit Mozambique, Madagascar and Botswana. This is his second trip to the African continent.

"As far as I am concerned, the humanity of our world is measured by the fate of Africa," Koehler said when he took office on July 1, 2004, urging the western countries to help Africa.

He said that Africa's future would be a key theme of his term in office, vowing to pay a visit to the continent.

Source: Xinhua