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Bush must respect African leadership American leader Mr George W. Bush begins his first
visit to Africa as head of state tomorrow with very dirty hands after his
alleged bungling in Iraq.
American and British troops stand accused of slaughtering thousands of unarmed civilians including women and children during the US-led invasion of Iraq, ostensibly to expose that country�s weapons of mass destruction. Those weapons are yet to be found and if statements made by even some pro-American experts and former top officials of the Iraqi government are anything to go by, it is highly unlikely that any such weapons ever existed. Mr Bush, who is set to visit South Africa, Botswana, Uganda and Senegal, is coming to Africa at a time when his popularity � like that of his British counterpart Mr Tony Blair � is rapidly waning at home and abroad because of what has been described as his "Macho rhetoric". His fiercest critics in America have chided him for his "reckless" talk, which they say has placed more US soldiers in the line of fire in Iraq. Iraqis vigorously opposed to the continued presence of US invaders in their country have over the past month or so been launching guerilla-style attacks on the occupiers on almost a daily basis. Now there are fears that, thanks largely to Mr Bush�s loose tongue, such attacks will increase after he taunted the Iraqis to "bring them (the attacks) on". Mr Bush will be hoping to make the whole world believe that America cares about Africa despite ample evidence to the contrary. Reports are that Mr Bush will, in his attempt to win hearts, dangle a US$15 billion anti-Aids plan and millions more in anti-terror aid. But critics in his own country have dismissed the trip as merely "an outing for the White House spin machine". Others have said this is an attempt by Mr Bush to hoodwink America and Africa, while others have said the Texan will simply be going on a holiday. Whatever his real motive for coming to Africa, Mr Bush had better not dictate things to anyone, lest, as President Mugabe warned over the weekend, he be spurned. Already there are fears that Mr Bush will try to arm-twist South African President Thabo Mbeki to help him effect so-called regime change in Zimbabwe. While we know that no African leader worth his salt and who really knows America will accept to be used by the likes of Mr Bush, we think an opportunity has arisen for the Texan to experience first-hand the rock-solid unity prevalent in Africa. As President Mugabe put it, Mr Bush will be more than welcome if he comes knowing that there are leaders in Africa and discusses how America can help promote development on the continent from which it has profited so much. Anything other than this will see him going the way Mr Colin Powell went when he struck the wrong cord of a popular African melody in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the Earth Summit last year. Latest statistics from the International Labour Organisation indicate that the gap between the rich and the poor has widened, with an estimated three billion people living on US$2 (about $1 600) per day. How does America propose to reduce this gap? The
Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" |
