United States President George W Bush is postponing a trip to Africa,
scheduled for January.

White House sources said Mr Bush needed to focus on domestic and
other international issues, with an unnamed official saying that the
delay should not be taken as a sign that war with Iraq was imminent.

I look forward to the trip... I look forward to focusing on the
challenges that we must face together

A White House statement said the trip would take place later in the
year and that Mr Bush "looks forward to visiting Africa in 2003".

Mr Bush was to have visited Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, Mauritius
and Kenya between 10 and 17 January.

Washington meeting

He met the leaders of Kenya and Ethiopia on 6 December in Washington.

Mr Bush welcomed Kenya's President Daniel arap Moi and Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia as "two strong friends of America... two
leaders of countries which have joined us to fight the global war on
terrorism".

Mr Bush announced his plan to visit Africa in June at a dinner in
Washington to honour the late anti-apartheid activist Leon Sullivan.


US aid will provide scholarships and textbooks for African children
Mr Bush vowed that the United States would help African nations with
responsible policies to help combat disease, poverty and illiteracy.

Mr Sullivan, the Baptist preacher who turned much of his attention
from civil rights in the United States to South Africa's system of
apartheid, died in 2001 at the age of 78.

Mr Bush also said he wanted US education aid to the continent to be
increased by $100 million over the next five years.

Former US President Bill Clinton visited sub-Saharan Africa in 1998
and 2000.


       The Mulindwas communication group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy"

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