UPDATE - SAT., FEB. 16 - I couldn't get a picture of the billboards last night, but got one this morning. Here's one that I didn't see last night.
PEPFAR is an HIV/AIDS program, PMI is a malaria program, and MCA is the Millennium Challenge Account, which gives development money to African nations on the condition that they make progress towards establishing the rule of law and open markets.
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DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA — We saw them as soon as we got off the plane and loaded onto buses for our hotel: huge billboards next to the main highway from the airport with President Bush's face on it.
The first said, "We cherish democracy."
The second thanked Mr. Bush for the Millennium Challenge Account, which gives aid to African countries but requires progress towards the rule of law.
Mr. Bush is signing a $698 million MCA agreement with Tanzania on Sunday.
And the third thanked the U.S. president for his help in fighting HIV/AIDS.
Tanzania has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The U.S. has given Tanzania $515 million since Fiscal 2004 under PEPFAR, and plans to give them $303 million more this year.
But there were also protests today here against the president's visit.
About 2,000 Muslim protesters marched through this city, the capital of Tanzania, chanting anti-U.S. slogans and tearing down U.S. flags erected in honor of Mr. Bush's visit, Reuters reported.
The protesters chanted, "Who is a terrorist? Bush," and "Bush is an oil thief."
Tanzania is about 40 percent Muslim and 40 percent Christian, but the semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar, which lies off Tanzania's coast in the Indian Ocean, is majority Muslim.
Mr. Bush, by the way, is scheduled to be departing the White House as I write this, and will make a stop over in the west African country of Benin before heading to Tanzania.
He'll arrive in Tanzania tomorrow evening local time, around 11 a.m. Eastern.
— Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times
Comments (3)
Though there may be signs of protest the overwhelming majority of Africans of all faiths have a tremendous respect for President Bush and America.
They realize that the United States actually "walks the talk" in terms of humanitarian outreach to those in Africa who "have no voice".
There may be undue attention to protests but they represent a very small faction.
Posted by ward brehm | February 15, 2008 6:50 PM
This is a better reception he gets from the Democrats in Congress.
Posted by Larry Stone | February 16, 2008 12:18 PM
Bush might be in Africa, but he has not been good for Africa. His policies on aid, trade and terror have undermined Africa and Africa will continue to suffer because of this for many more years to come. More on this at http://angryafrican.wordpress.com/
Posted by Angry African | February 16, 2008 5:22 PM