Bush Africa Tour a 'Photo-Op,' Not a Serious Policy Initiative

Interview with Bill Fletcher, president of TransAfrica Forum, conducted by Scott Harris

Before embarking on his recent trip to Africa, President Bush told reporters that his administration "cared deeply about the plight of the African citizen." While touring five nations on the world's poorest continent, the president condemned slavery and affirmed support for economic development and extolled his $15 billion pledge to fight AIDS and other diseases. But many Africa observers are skeptical that this new attention from the White House will make a profound difference in the lives of the African people.

It turns out that the president's original request for funds to combat the AIDS pandemic, and resources to finance development projects in Africa, have been dramatically scaled back. Congress, facing record deficits, will likely reduce these programs even further. Critics point out that Bush glaringly failed to address Africa's debt crisis, the single largest obstacle impeding progress on economic development, which is key to providing relief to a population devastated by grinding poverty. During his visit, the president focused on the U.S. war against terrorism, but said little about the five-year long conflict in the Congo, which has thus far killed more than 3 million people.

While the White House denies it, political analysts believe that the president's visit to Africa was, at least in part, an effort to repair damage with African American voters in advance of his 2004 re-election bid. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Bill Fletcher, president of TransAfrica Forum, who assesses the economic and political underpinnings of Bush's recent tour of Africa.

Call TransAfrica Forum at (202) 223-1960 or visit their Web site at: www.transafricaforum.org

Related links

Africa Action, www.africaaction.org
Health GAP (Global Access Project) www.healthgap.org

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