Bush criticised over Africa policies

Ahead of this week?’s meeting of rich country leaders in Kananaskis, Canada, Africa Action criticised the recent announcements by President George W. Bush on new Africa policy initiatives.

Referring to the new proposals on HIV/AIDS and education announced by the White House last week, as well as President Bush?’s planned trip to Africa next year, Africa Action?’s Executive Director Salih Booker said, "These moves are nothing more than a public relations exercise, designed to stave off criticism of U.S. indifference at the G8 summit. They represent a charade of caring for Africa while actually undermining efforts to address the continent?’s most critical need."

Africa Action noted that the White House initiative to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS came days after President Bush had intervened to derail efforts in Congress to pass an additional $1 billion for the fight against AIDS. Africa faces the worst public health crisis known to humanity, said Booker today, as he denounced the Bush initiative as pitifully inadequate and dangerously wrong-headed. According to Africa Action, the narrow focus on preventing mother-to-child transmission abandons HIV-positive mothers to a death sentence, and can only succeed in exacerbating the AIDS orphans crisis that Africa already faces.

Africa Action continues to deplore the failure of the Bush Administration to fund the United Nations Global Fund on AIDS as the most important vehicle for fighting the AIDS pandemic. Bush?’s proposal on education in Africa is similarly rejected as a meager attempt to deflect attention from the inadequacies of U.S. policies on Africa?’s real challenges ­ AIDS and debt cancellation.

On the New Partnership for Africa's Development, or NEPAD, a plan likely to attract a good deal of attention at this week?’s summit, Booker cautioned that: NEPAD is still an emerging initiative that requires broader consultation among African leaders and civil society. It cannot become the cornerstone for a new partnership between African governments and G8 governments until it has first become a partnership between African governments and their own people.

According to Booker, Bush?’s basic approach to Africa is to stall, even as 6,000 people die daily due to AIDS alone. Such an approach can only be described as anti-African.