U.S. President George W. Bush will begin a five-nation trip to Africa on Feb. 15. Security matters dominate his agenda, no matter what is discussed publicly.
U.S. President George W. Bush will visit Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia on a Feb. 15-21 tour of Africa. The issue of security in Africa’s eastern, central, Sahel and Gulf of Guinea regions probably will dominate the closed-door discussions. Meanwhile HIV/AIDS, democracy and development partnership discussions will occupy the public stage.
The five countries Bush will take in on his six-day Africa visit are considered stable democracies, are essentially conflict-free, and are seen as reliable if low-profile U.S. partners on the continent. While unlike Nigeria, Ethiopia, or South Africa, the countries are not of great strategic importance to U.S. interests in Africa, each country is located in a region of the continent that faces significant security and terrorism risks — something that will be addressed during Bush’s visit.