They came from far and wide to witness the inauguration of Ghana's new President.
And the country put on a show to welcome them.
Leaders from across Africa were invited to the ceremony, including the former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan - who's from Ghana.
The country is one of Africa's success stories.
It's earned international praise for a democratic process that saw John Atta Mills win the presidency by less than half a percent.
The opposition leader succeeded John Kufour who served two four-year terms.
[John Atta Mills, President of Ghana]:
"The least that I can do is to work hard in order to help all of us achieve a better Ghana."
Ghana is the world's second largest cocoa grower and Africa's second biggest gold miner.
Oil production will also be a reality in 2010.
Much of its success is down to Kufuor but he's also had many problems.
There have been reports of overspending and allegations of corruption, including the implication of senior officials in drug trafficking.
Mills will be expected to do better.
The World Cup football tournament kicks off in one week, and host South Africa is busy putting on the finishing touches. But not everyone is looking forward to the tournament. Authorites in cities including Cape Town are being accused of clearing the poor from the streets - to create a good impression for visiting fans. Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa has more.