African Nations Honor "Democracy President" George W. Bush

President Bush, the "Democracy President", is on a 5 nation tour of Africa this week. The President and Mrs. Laura Bush will tour Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia. They will review firsthand the significant progress since the President's last visit in 2003 in efforts to accelerate economic development and fight global HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other treatable diseases, as a result of the United States' robust programs- The White House.

These African nations welcomed the President and Mrs. Bush with open arms this week:

Standing beneath a billboard giving thanks to U.S. President George W. Bush, Tanzanians crowd an intersection as the presidential motorcade drives past in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Reuters has video ot the president's stop in Tanzania, HERE.

Billboards of U.S. President George W. Bush, near the Tanzanian State House in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008. President Bush has been well-recieved by the Tanzanian people for all the help given and pledged by the U.S. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)


A sign promoting the visit of U.S. President George W. Bush is seen in Dar es Salaam February 17, 2008. (REUTERS/Jim Young)

The United States current policy under President Bush empowers African nations with programs that reward countries that commit to rule justly, invest in people, and encourage economic freedom:

Since 2001, the United States has dramatically increased its commitment to development in Africa – and has transformed the way this development is carried out. Too many nations continue to follow either the paternalistic notion that treats African countries as charity cases, or a model of exploitation that seeks to buy up their resources. America rejects both approaches. The United States is treating the leaders of Africa as equal partners, asking them to set clear goals, and expecting them to produce measurable results.

The president's next stop is Rwanda.