Bush says US to double Africa aid

[frigidmagi]

BBC

President George Bush has said the US will double assistance to Africa by 2010, but stressed trade and good government were as important as aid.

Speaking ahead of next week's G8 summit in Scotland, Mr Bush said the world stood to benefit from prosperity and stability on the African continent.

But African leaders must themselves be the "agents of reform", he said, rather than "passive recipients of money".

He also said there should be a new concern for environmental protection.

Onus on reform

The president announced the US would double its aid to Africa over the next five years, "with primary focus on reforming countries".

The West's greatest challenge, he said, was to "get beyond empty symbolism and discredited policies".

"Economic development is not something we do for countries, it is something they achieve with us," he said.

Mr Bush said progress in Africa was crucial because the interests of the developed world were directly at stake.

"The whole world will benefit from prosperity and stability on the African continent," he said.

He said the events of 11 September 2001 showed the United States was threatened by instability abroad.

"We fight the war on terror with power, we will win the war on terror with freedom and justice and hope," he said.

Mr Bush also said there was a deep need across the continent to provide women with greater empowerment and improve the opportunities for primary education.

Strangly enough I do agree with him. We could pour all the money in the world into Africa but it won't help unless the leaders of continent reform and actually use the money to help the people of their nations instead of buying guns, drugs and sport cars. The flip side is a stable, free, sound Africa where childern aren't starving or being shot over tribal connection will only bring improvement to everybody in the end.

[Josh]

A stable Africa would be nice. Unfortunately, I don't see it coming any time soon, and as a result the bulk of any money we send will be money down the rathole and PR bumps for our politicos.