14 February 2008

U.S. Committed to Africa’s Success, Bush Says

President cites doubling of U.S. aid, promotion of democracy

 

President Bush discusses his five-nation trip to Africa, where he will focus on issues that affect the lives of Africans. (© AP Images)

Washington -- The United States has doubled assistance to Africa during the Bush administration -- the largest expansion of foreign aid since the reconstruction of postwar Europe under the Marshall Plan.  And President Bush says that the region’s long-term success lies in helping promote democracy and peace, which in turn spur economic development and entrepreneurship.

“Africa's most valuable resource is not its oil, it's not its diamonds, it is the talent and creativity of its people,” Bush says.  “We are partnering with African leaders to empower their people to lift up their nations and write a new chapter in their history.” 

As Bush prepared to set off for a six-day, five-nation tour of the region, with stops in Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia, he reflected on Africa’s progress over the past decade and pledged continued U.S. support in a February 14 speech at Washington’s National Museum of African Art.

A new generation of African leaders is stepping forward, Bush said, and the United States has joined with the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations and other international organizations, humanitarian aid groups and the business community to help Africa succeed. (See "U.S. Strongly Committed to Development and Stability in Africa.")

The continent has seen 50 democratic elections in the past four years and two-thirds of the nations of sub-Saharan Africa now are free, Bush said, and the United States will remain committed to supporting Africans as they come together to confront regional political, economic, and security challenges.

“Africa in the 21st century is a continent of potential,” Bush said.  “It's a place where democracy is advancing, where economies are growing and leaders are meeting challenges with purpose and determination.” 

U.S. HELPS AFRICA CONFRONT DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES

“Too many nations continue to follow either the paternalistic notion that treats African countries as charity cases, or a model of exploitation that seeks only to buy up their resources.  America rejects both approaches,” Bush said.  “Instead, we are treating African leaders as equal partners, asking them to set clear goals, and expecting them to produce measurable results.”

The United States has accomplished this through the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which has created new livelihoods by tripling African exports to the United States, as well as the creation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which has provided $5.5 billion in assistance above and beyond traditional U.S. aid programs to nations that demonstrate their commitment to fighting corruption and governing justly and invest in the health and education of their citizens.

“America is serving as an investor, not a donor,” Bush said, announcing a new $700 million compact with Tanzania, MCC’s largest compact to date, which will be signed during his visit.

The United States also is working to empower Africans to alleviate hunger, expand education and fight disease, Bush said.

Building on America’s role as the single largest provider of food assistance, Bush has proposed legislation authorizing U.S. aid agencies to support local agricultural markets by purchasing crops directly from African farmers to help break the cycle of famine.

Education, the key to development, is another focus, Bush said, and the United States is working to distribute more than 15 million textbooks, train nearly a million teachers and provide scholarships for 550,000 girls by 2010 under its African Education Initiative, as well as make basic education available to 4 million others under the International Education Initiative. (See "President's Initiative Increases Access to Education in Africa.")

Two out of every three people afflicted with HIV/AIDS live in sub-Saharan Africa, and the United States has pledged $15 billion under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program that already has benefited more than 1.3 million people with free medicine and treatment facilities across the region.

Bush seeks to double PEPFAR before leaving office, he said. (See "Bush Plans To Increase Resources To Fight Global HIV/AIDS.")

Under the President’s Malaria Initiative, a commitment of $1.2 billion has delivered spraying, mosquito netting and medicine to 25 million people in 15 African nations in an effort to cut malaria deaths in half.

“Across Africa, people have begun to speak of the ‘Lazarus effect,’ where communities once given up for dead are coming back to life,” Bush said.  “This work of healing and redemption is both a matter of conscience and a wise exercise of American influence.”

“The work is not done,” he added. “In the face of the needs that remain, it's important for the African people to believe the American people are not going to turn away.”

A transcript of Bush’s remarks is available on America.gov.

For more information, see Focus on Africa.