By IRNA
Pretoria : US President George W. Bush arrived in Benin on Saturday, kicking off a six-day trip to a continent where he enjoys high approval ratings.
Benin President Thomas Yayi Boni embraces U.S. President George W.
Bush Saturday in Cotonou.
“I stand here by your side as a friend, a believer in your vision and a partner in your willingness to confront the disease and poverty that affect mankind,” Bush said to President Boni.
“We would not be standing here if you and your government was not committed to your people.”
“You mentioned some of the money we’re spending with you, but those dollars come with great compassion for your people. We care when we see suffering,” Bush said.
White House National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters aboard Air Force One that Benin was a good place to start the six-day Africa tour because it was “very democratic” and the United States was a “real partner” with Benin in combating malaria there.
Bush will visit five nations during the Africa tour. In addition to Benin, the Bushes also will visit Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia.
Their trip — Bush’s second to the continent and his wife’s fifth — will largely focus on the United States’ aid programs, which include initiatives to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and poverty.
Ahead of the visit, Bush on Thursday called Africa a “continent of potential,” and said the United States is committed to helping it develop.
“It’s a place where democracy is advancing, where economies are growing, and leaders are meeting challenges with purpose and determination,” Bush said at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, where he and his wife, Laura, addressed the audience.
“Across Africa, people have begun to speak of the Lazarus effect — where communities once given up for dead are coming back to life,” he said, noting that the continent has “also witnessed some of mankind’s most shameful chapters — from the evils of the slave trade to the condescension of colonialism.”
He added, “Even the joy of independence, which arrived with such promise, was undermined by corruption, conflict, and disease.” The United States also announced last February its plans to establish an African military command, called Africom, which it says would help prevent war. However, on Wednesday, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said there are not expected to be any announcements concerning that program during Bush’s trip.