African Pundits Heckle Bush for ‘Safari’

Africa’s online media has been attacking US President Bush’s agenda even before his five-day trip around the continent got under way.. Journalists in each of the countries he is visiting – as well as in some that he’s not – doubt Bush’s sincerity and motivations vocally or tacitly. Concern over American hegemony figured prominently in the South African and Zambian press, which maintained Bush was seeking "military and economic hegemony" in the region. And, though a Nigerian newspaper asserted that the US was off to a “good start” in helping Africa fight AIDS, it also emphasized that the US has far to go on issues of trade. Ultimately, the absolute silence of Botswana’s media regarding the upcoming visit speaks volumes about the region’s general cynicism about US motivations and the fulfillment of American promises. – YaleGlobal