Bush Focus on Africa: Why Now?

May 30, 2007— -- This has been Africa week at the White House.

Tuesday President Bush called for stiffer economic sanctions against Sudan as a way to pressure that government into ending the suffering of refugees in Darfur.

Then came his Wednesday plan, in which he asked Congress for $30 billion to fight the global AIDS crisis, and announced that first lady Laura Bush would travel to Africa next month to visit AIDS-related programs in four countries.

One explanation analysts offer for the timing is that Bush is attending the Group of Eight summit meeting in Germany next week and wants to offset any criticism he may get for Iraq and his administration's policies on climate change.

Perhaps the issues are designed to appeal to the allies at next week's summit, perhaps they're a way to build better press coverage on the Iraq War or build his legacy. Whatever the reasons, the president is turning to Africa.

The president's interest in Africa goes back to the earlier days of his administration.

He traveled to Africa in 2003, shortly after he first announced he was enrolling in the fight against AIDS. He called for a $15 billion effort then, but that program expires in September 2008, shortly before he leaves office.

So, he is now asking for more money to be spent during the five years after he leaves the White House. Bush hopes it will be used to treat 2.5 million people, primarily in Africa, and prevent new infections among more than 12 million people.

He first surprised the world with his 2003 State of the Union address in which he called for a serious campaign to end the AIDS scourge that affects Africa more than any other continent. Until then, Bush had not shown a great deal of interest in improving the lives of Africans.

While traveling in Sweden in June 2001 he referred to Africa as a country instead of a continent: "Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease." His aides insisted that anyone could misspeak and that he was in fact very interested in Africa.

So were two of his top foreign policy advisers at the time: Colin Powell, who was secretary of state, and Condoleezza Rice, who was then national security adviser and is currently secretary of state. They argued passionately for involvement in Africa. So did Christian evangelicals and missionary workers, who urged him to help the almost 30 million people living with the AIDS virus.

Richard Stearns, president of World Vision, a Christian relief organization, said, "I really think that the president's motivation in this whole AIDS response really comes out of his Christian faith ... and his Christian belief that we need to help our neighbors and care for the widows and orphans, in particular in Africa."

International AIDS groups were generally pleased. Bono, the rock star and anti-AIDS activist, praised Bush. Bono quoted the president as saying that AIDS was a form of genocide.

Some AIDS activists have criticized the U.S. program for spending part of its funds on abstinence education. They would prefer the money go toward other measures, such as providing condoms. The Global Aids Alliance said, "Two-thirds of the budget [goes] toward abstinence-until-marriage and faithfulness programs, even though abstinence programs have not been shown to be effective."

Another anti-AIDS group, Health Gap, said the funding in Bush's new initiative "is not keeping pace with the spread of the epidemic." The group said much more must be spent, especially to deal with the shortage of doctors, nurses and community health workers.

The president, in his Rose Garden remarks in which he asked for new funds, called the program "a promising start" so far. But he said it is time now to double funding. "To whom much has been given," he said, "much is required." Noting that much has been given to the United States, Bush said Americans must continue to show their generosity.