Critical of U.S. Policies, Africans Are Giving Bush Chilly Reception

African commentators refuse to tip-toe around the tough topics. Though US President Bush and South African President Mbeki carefully avoided contentious issues at their meeting, newspapers refused to muffle criticism of America's foreign policies and continued to express doubt about the sincerity of the superpower's interest in Africa. In general, says this Washington Post article, people in Africa see Bush's five-day trip across the continent as a single-minded pursuit of American security interests. Even Bush's commitment of billions of dollars to the fight against AIDS is being viewed as primarily a part of America's anti-terrorist efforts in the region. Such anti-American sentiments have been further exacerbated in South Africa by Bush's suspension of military aid after the country refused to exempt US citizens from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. According to one editorial in an influential Kenyan daily, "It is true Bush is going to spend a sum of money . . . surpassing any his predecessors committed to Africa, and yet he will never be liked on this continent." Such harsh public criticism ultimately lent an ironic tone to a toast Mbeki gave Bush at a luncheon that "we would not but receive you as a friend and honored guest." – YaleGlobal