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Why George Bush is coming to Tanzania
2008-01-29 09:37:45
By Guardian Reporter
The US embassy in Dar es Salaam has given three reasons for President George Bush`s upcoming visit to Tanzania. President and Mrs. Bush will travel to Africa from February 15-21, 2008.
They will visit Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, and Liberia. ``President Bush wants to cement the growing relations with Tanzania, which are becoming stronger,`` US envoy told editors yesterday during a roundtable discussion at the US Embassy.
Giving the second reason, the envoy said: ``The US is committed to fighting AIDS and eradicating malaria, as witnessed by the US President`s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the President`s Malaria Initiative.``
Since 2003, the US has provided USD 818.4 million to combat HIV/AIDS in Tanzania, and USD 76.5 to combat malaria.
The third reason for President Bush`s trip to Tanzania, Green said, is that the US President has faith in Tanzania`s future, because this is a country with strong leadership, stable and peaceful, factors that attract investment because no one would like to invest in a country that was plagued by upheavals.
``President Bush knows that his visit will put Tanzania on the spotlight of American investors,`` Ambassador Green said.
Reacting to a question on the probability of President George Bush being greeted by protests of those who were opposed to America`s foreign policy, Green responded that it was too early to comment on that issue.
Answering another question on claims that President Bush`s visit was intended to facilitate the establishment of the United States Africa Command (Africom) in Tanzania, Ambassador Green said: ``This is absurd. I have never heard anyone discuss that issue.``
Africom is intended to oversee US military operations in Africa.
According to US Assistant Secretary of Defence for African Affairs Theresa Whelan, the importance of Africa is the reason that the U.S chose to establishing a new unified command, taking into account the size of its population, natural resource wealth and potential, as well as its importance in the context of global security, i.e reducing conflict, improving security, defeating terrorists, and then supporting crisis response.
A US Embassy statement issued yesterday in Dar es Salaam revealed that during his Africa tour, President Bush will meet with President Yayi, President Kikwete, President Kagame, President Kufuor, and President Johnson-Sirleaf to discuss how the United States can continue to partner with African countries to support continued democratic reform, respect for human rights, free trade, open investment regimes, and economic opportunity across the continent.
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