    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 6 (Monday, February 18, 2008)]
    [Pages 189-196]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks on African Development and Upcoming Visit to Africa

    February 14, 2008

        I've been looking forward to coming to the museum, and there's an
    added benefit, and that is, I get to be introduced by my wife on
    Valentine's Day. [Laughter] Happy Valentine's.
        This morning Laura and I join all Americans in honoring the life of
    Congressman Tom Lantos. In his remarkable 80 years, Tom Lantos survived
    the Nazi camps of Hungary to reach the Halls of Congress. As a
    Representative from California, he was a fearless defender of democracy,
    a powerful advocate of human rights, and a strong supporter of the fight
    against HIV/AIDS. Our prayers are with Annette and the Lantos family. We
    thank God for his service.
        Five years ago, Laura and I made our first visit to Africa. Since
    then, as she mentioned, she's taken three more trips. And every time,
    she came back with fascinating stories, some of which she just shared
    with you. And tomorrow, as she mentioned, we're going back, and I'm
    really looking forward to it.
        We're going to Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, and Liberia. Each of
    these countries is blessed with natural beauty, vibrant culture, and an
    unmistakable spirit of energy

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    and optimism. Africa in the 21st century is a continent of potential.
    That's how we view it. I hope that's how our fellow citizens view
    Africa. It's a place where democracy is advancing, where economies are
    growing, and leaders are meeting challenges with purpose and
    determination.
        Our visit will give me a chance to meet with people who are making
    the transformation on the continent possible. I'm going to witness the
    generosity of the American people firsthand. It will give me a chance to
    remind our fellow citizens about what a compassionate people we are. And
    I will assure our partners in Africa that the United States is committed
    to them today, tomorrow, and long into their continent's bright future.
        And so I thank you for giving us a chance to come and visit with
    you. You could call this the sendoff speech.
        I really want to thank Mark Dybul. I love to support people who are
    making history. I can't think of any more noble history than to be
    leading the compassionate effort of the American people to help save
    lives. And, Ambassador, you're doing a fabulous job.
        I also want to welcome Admiral Tim Ziemer. Admiral, good to see you.
    He's in charge of making sure that we meet our goals in reducing the
    scourge of malaria. Thanks for coming. You and Dybul are results-
    oriented people. Let me say, I'm a results-oriented President, and so
    when I meet with you, I ask you, what are the results? [Laughter] And
    you'll hear in a minute, they're very positive.
        I appreciate very much Dr. Samper and his wife, Adriana, for
    welcoming us. Thank you for leading this important institute.
        I also want to thank Sharon Patton, the Director of the Smithsonian
    National Museum of African Art. Thanks for welcoming us. It's not so
    easy, like, to welcome the President. [Laughter] It turns out, the
    entourages are probably bigger than the visitors to your museum--
    [laughter]--but thank you for coming. This is an important part of the
    Washington scene. I'd urge our fellow citizens to come to this important
    museum. I want to thank the board members of the Smithsonian National
    Museum of Africa Art who have joined us today.
        I welcome Jendayi Frazer, Assistant Secretary of State for African
    Affairs. Are you going on the trip? Yes. Better get home and pack.
    [Laughter] Thanks for coming. I'm proud to work with you.
        Henrietta Fore, Administrator of USAID, is with us. Henrietta,
    thanks for coming.
        I better be careful about how I say this for fear of having a huge
    burst of applause, but I'd like to introduce the Director of the Peace
    Corps--[applause]--Ron Tschetter. Ron, thanks for coming. It's good to
    see you, sir. And I appreciate you bringing the five-person cheering
    section with you. [Laughter] There seems to be a groundswell here.
    [Laughter]
        I welcome the members of the diplomatic corps. Thanks for coming.
        And finally, I do also want to do what Mark did, and thank Chuck
    Dages of Warner Brothers for this trailer. It's good. I appreciate your
    support.
        The museum is a testament to America's long connection to Africa. At
    least that's how I view it. Africa is the birthplace of humanity, the
    home of great civilizations, and the source of enduring achievements in
    culture and art. Africa has also witnessed some of mankind's most
    shameful chapters, from the evils of the slave trade to the
    condescension of colonialism. Even the joy of independence, which
    arrived with such promise, was undermined by corruption, conflict, and
    disease. Just a decade ago, much of Africa seemed to be on the brink of
    collapse, and much of the world seemed content to let it collapse.
        Today, that's changing. A new generation of African leaders is
    stepping forward and turning their continent around. International
    organizations and faith-based groups and the private sector are more
    engaged than ever. And in one of the major priorities of my Presidency,
    the United States has fundamentally altered our policy toward Africa.
        America's approach to Africa stems from both our ideals and our
    interests. We believe that every human life is precious. We believe that
    our brothers and sisters in Africa have dignity and value because they
    bear the mark of our Creator. We believe our spirit is renewed when we
    help African children and families live and thrive.

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        Africa is also increasingly vital to our strategic interests. We
    have seen that conditions on the other side of the world can have a
    direct impact on our own security. We know that if Africa were to
    continue on the old path of decline, it would be more likely to produce
    failed states, foster ideologies of radicalism, and spread violence
    across borders.
        We also know that if Africa grows in freedom and prosperity and
    justice, its people will choose a better course. People who live in
    societies based on freedom and justice are more likely to reject the
    false promise of the extremist ideology. Citizens who see a future of
    opportunity are more likely to build hopeful economies that benefit all
    the people. Nations that replace disease and despair with healing and
    hope will help Africa do more than just survive; it will help Africa
    succeed.
        For all these reasons, America has dramatically increased our
    commitment to development in Africa. We have also revolutionized the way
    we approach development. Too many nations continue to follow either the
    paternalistic notion that treats African countries as charity cases or a
    model of exploitation that seeks only to buy up their resources. America
    rejects both approaches. Instead, we are treating African leaders as
    equal partners, asking them to set clear goals and expecting them to
    produce measurable results. For their part, more African leaders are
    willing to be held to high standards. And together we're pioneering a
    new era in development.
        The new era is rooted in a powerful truth: Africa's most valuable
    resource is not its oil; it's not its diamonds; it is the talent and
    creativity of its people. So we are partnering with African leaders to
    empower their people to lift up their nations and write a new chapter in
    their history.
        First, we are working to empower Africans to overcome poverty by
    helping them grow their economies. After a long period of stagnation,
    many of Africa's economies are springing to life. As a whole, sub-Sahara
    Africa is projected to grow nearly 7 percent this year. The economies of
    Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Tanzania are among the fastest growing in the
    world. And across Africa, poverty is beginning to decline. Don't get me
    wrong; it's still a poor place, but poverty is beginning to decline.
        This resurgence shows the strength of the entrepreneurial spirit in
    Africa. America is working to help unleash that spirit across the
    continent. Along with our fellow G-8 nations, we have relieved some $34
    billion in debt from African nations in the past 18 months. That is
    roughly the same level of debt that was canceled in the previous 11
    years combined. We have also made historic increases in foreign aid. In
    my first term, we more than doubled development assistance to Africa,
    part of the largest expansion of American development assistance since
    the Marshall Plan. At the beginning of my second term, I promised to
    double our assistance again by 2010. And the budget I sent Congress last
    week will ensure that we meet this commitment.
        And just as important, we're changing the way we deliver assistance.
    We created what's called the Millennium Challenge Account, which offers
    financial support to the world's most promising developing nations--
    nations that fight corruption, nations that govern justly, nations that
    open up their economies, and nations that invest in the health and
    education of their people.
        America is serving as an investor, not a donor. We believe that
    countries can adopt the habits necessary to provide help for their
    people. That's what we believe. And we're willing to invest in leaders
    that are doing just that. So far, more than two-thirds of the MCA's $5.5
    billion is being invested in Africa. And on my trip next week, I will
    sign the largest project in the program's history, nearly $700 million
    compact with Tanzania.
        Other nations are seeing the benefits of these agreements. They are
    moving ahead with the tough economic, political, and social reforms
    necessary to compete for a compact of their own. In fact, there is now
    more competition for funds than there are funds available, which ought
    to say two things: One, that this is evidence that the American
    taxpayers are getting good value for their dollars. In other words, if
    nations are willing to fight corruption, work on rule of law, support
    their people and not theirselves, then it

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    makes sense to invest with them. And secondly, it is evidence that
    Congress needs to fully fund this important initiative.
        The best way to generate economic growth in Africa is to expand
    trade and investment. When businesses in Africa can sell their products
    and services around the globe, they create a culture of self-reliance
    and opportunity. One of the most powerful incentives for trade is the
    African Growth and Opportunity Act. And I appreciate the fact that
    Congress has extended this good law. Since 2001, exports from sub-Sahara
    Africa to the United States have tripled. It's also important for our
    citizens to know that U.S. exports to sub-Sahara Africa have more than
    doubled.
        On my visit to Ghana, I will meet entrepreneurs who are benefiting
    from new access to U.S. markets. My message to them will be clear, just
    like it is to the Congress: For the benefit of Africans and for the
    benefit of Americans alike, we must maintain our commitment to free and
    fair trade.
        Attracting foreign capital is another key to growth. In recent
    years, African nations have taken impressive steps to improve their
    investment climates. According to a World Bank report, 16 countries in
    sub-Sahara Africa recently adopted reforms to make it easier to start a
    business and to register property. That may sound simple to Americans,
    but these are important steps to be able to attract capital for
    investment purposes. When investors look for a promising market, they
    are increasingly turning to Africa. And in a hopeful sign, private
    capital flows to sub-Sahara Africa now exceed development assistance.
        We've taken several steps to build on this progress. Last year, we
    launched the Africa Financial Sector Initiative. As part of this effort,
    our Overseas Private Investment Corporation mobilized $750 million in
    investment capital for African businesses. Today I'm announcing that
    OPIC will support five new investment funds that will mobilize an
    additional $875 million, for a total of more than $1.6 billion in new
    capital.
        And next week, I'm going to sign a bilateral investment treaty with
    Rwanda. This will be America's first such treaty in sub-Sahara Africa in
    nearly a decade. It reflects our shared commitment to systems of fair
    and open investment. It will bring more capital to Rwanda's dynamic and
    growing economy.
        Look, the idea of somehow being able to help people through just
    giving them money isn't working. That's why I appreciate the efforts of
    Rob Mosbacher and OPIC, recognizing that when you invest in capital--
    invest capital, you create jobs. Paternalism has got to be a thing of
    the past. Joint venturing with good, capable people is what the future
    is all about.
        But in the long run, the best way to lift lives in Africa is to tear
    down barriers to investment and trade around the world. And we have an
    opportunity to do that through the Doha round of trade talks. Look, Doha
    is important to enhance trade, but if you're truly interested in
    eliminating poverty, we ought to be reducing tariffs and barriers all
    across the globe. The United States stands ready to cut farm subsidies
    and agricultural tariffs and other trade barriers that disadvantage
    developing countries. On the other hand, we expect the rest of the
    world, especially the most advanced developing countries, to do the
    same. And if we both make good-faith efforts, we can reach a successful
    Doha agreement this year.
        Secondly, we're working to empower Africans to alleviate hunger,
    expand education, and fight disease. America is proud to be the world's
    largest provider of food assistance, including emergency food stocks
    that have saved lives in places like Ethiopia or Sudan and other African
    nations. It's a noble effort on our people's part. I don't know if--most
    Americans don't understand that we're the world's largest provider of
    food to feed the hungry, but we are.
        Yet our ultimate objective is to do more than respond to the hungry;
    it is to help African countries feed their own people. So I have
    proposed that America purchase crops directly from farmers in Africa,
    instead of just shipping food assistance from the developed world. This
    initiative would build up local agriculture markets. It would help break
    the cycle of famine. And it deserves the full support of the United
    States Congress.
        We're also focusing on education. I'm looking forward to seeing the
    President of Tanzania; he's a good guy. Here's what he said: He said,
    ``It's an indisputable fact that

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    education is key to development.'' Across Africa, students are eager to
    learn, and often they lack quality teachers and just basic supplies.
    Things we take for granted in America are just lacking in parts of
    Africa. So in 2002, I launched the Africa Education Initiative, the goal
    of which is to distribute more than 15 million textbooks, train nearly a
    million teachers, and provide scholarships for 550,000 girls by 2010.
    And we're headed to achieving that goal. In other words, these just
    weren't empty words; these were concrete, solid goals being funded as a
    result of the generosity of the Congress and the American people.
        Last year, I also announced a new International Education
    Initiative, which will help make basic education available to 4 million
    people in Ghana, Liberia, and other nations. Laura and I are looking
    forward to talking to the leaders of Ghana and Liberia about this
    important, transformative initiative.
        With both these steps, we are matching the enthusiasm of African
    educators with the generosity of our taxpayers, and we believe strongly
    that this will open up the door to opportunity for millions. The good
    news is, so do the leaders of the countries we're going to visit.
        The greatest threat to Africa is disease. The greatest threat for a
    successful Africa is the scourge of HIV/AIDS and malaria. Two out of
    every three people afflicted with HIV/AIDS live in sub-Sahara Africa.
    The disease is the leading cause of death in the region. Just a few
    years ago, there were fears that HIV/AIDS could wipe out much of the
    continent's population, with death rates that would rival the Black
    Plague of the Middle Ages.
        We responded. We responded with the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
    It's the largest international health initiative in history to fight a
    single disease. In 2002, we pledged $15 billion over 5 years to support
    HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care. We set some clear principles
    on how that money would be spent. We put local partners in the lead
    because they know their people and their needs. We opened the funding to
    faith-based groups, healers willing to deliver medicine to remote
    villages by bicycle or on foot. We stressed the importance of changing
    behavior so that fewer people are infected in the first place.
        And the results are striking. When I visited sub-Sahara Africa 5
    years ago--or when we visited 5 years ago, 50,000 people were receiving
    medicine to treat HIV/AIDS. And when we return this week, there will be
    more than 1.3 million.
        One person who knows the benefits of the emergency plan is Tatu
    Msangi. She's a single mother from Tanzania. When she became pregnant,
    Tatu went to a clinic run by a Christian group, souls showing up to love
    a neighbor just like they'd like to be loved themselves. You know, it
    didn't take a Federal law to say, go to Africa to provide love for Tatu;
    it took a higher calling. These goals responded.
        She learned she was HIV-positive and enrolled in a program designed
    to prevent mother-to-child transmission. She went on to deliver a
    healthy, HIV-free girl named Faith. I will see Tatu next week in
    Tanzania, but it's not going to be the first time I met her. See, a few
    weeks ago, she and Faith endured a rather windy State of the Union
    Address. She sat with Laura in the box, here in the Capital of the
    Nation that helped save their lives.
        In all, the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has benefited tens of
    millions in Africa. Some call this a remarkable success. I call it a
    good start. Last May, I proposed to double our Nation's initial pledge
    to $30 billion over the next 5 years. The people on the continent of
    Africa have to know they're not alone. The G-8 has shown leadership by
    agreeing to match our $30 billion pledge. The private sector has made
    generous contributions as well. Think of what Warner Brothers has done,
    for example. And now the time has come for Congress to act. Members of
    both parties should reauthorize the emergency plan, maintain the
    principles that have made it a success, and double our commitment to
    this noble cause.
        Malaria is another devastating killer. In some African countries,
    malaria takes as many lives as HIV/AIDS. And the vast majority of those
    taken by malaria are children under the age of 5. Every one of these
    deaths is unnecessary because the disease is entirely

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    preventable and treatable. So in 2005, America launched a 5-year, $1.2
    billion initiative to provide the insecticide-treated beds, indoor
    spraying, cutting-edge drugs that are necessary to defeat this disease.
    It's not a complicated strategy. It doesn't take a lot of medical
    research. We know how to solve the problem. That's why I put the admiral
    there. He knows how to solve problems. He can get us from point A to
    point B in a straight line--well, nearly straight line. [Laughter] And
    so we set a historic goal--if you have a treatable problem on hand, then
    you're able to set measurable goals--and the goal is to cut the number
    of malaria-related deaths in 15 African nations by half. That's the
    goal.
        Like the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the malaria initiative
    empowers leaders on the ground to design strategies that work best for
    their nations. For example, President Yayi of Benin has called the fight
    against malaria ``a fight against misery.'' With the help of the malaria
    initiative, he's leading a campaign to deliver insecticide-treated bed
    nets to children under 5 in Benin. I'm looking forward to hearing how
    that's going when we meet him on Benin on our first stop. I can't wait
    to find out how well this initiative is doing.
        Like the emergency plan, the malaria initiative has been matched by
    G-8 nations, which have pledged to cut malaria deaths by half in an
    additional 15 countries. This initiative has also been greeted with
    generous support from the private sector, faith-based groups, and
    Americans who want to do something to save somebody's life. You can buy
    a $10 bed net and ship it to Africa to save a life. It doesn't take much
    money, but it takes a big heart. One of the interesting gifts Laura and
    I got a couple of years ago for Christmas was bed nets in our name. It
    made us feel great.
        Like the emergency plan, the malaria initiative is producing
    undeniable results. In just over 2 years, the initiative has reached
    more than 25 million people. According to new data, malaria rates are
    dropping dramatically in many parts of Africa. If we stay on this path,
    an extraordinary achievement is within reach: Africa can turn a disease
    that has taken its children for centuries into a thing of the past. And
    wouldn't that be fantastic? And so Laura and I are going to spend time
    with these leaders, saying, what a noble opportunity; what a great goal;
    what a great way to serve humankind.
        Finally, we're working to empower Africans to end conflicts,
    strengthen democracy, and promote peace. When I took office, Africa was
    home to six major conflicts, in Angola, Burundi, Congo, Liberia, Sierra
    Leone, and southern Sudan. We concluded that the best way to broker
    peace was to support the efforts of African leaders on the ground,
    instead of dictating solutions from Washington, DC. And today, every one
    of them has made progress toward peace and stability.
        For example, the United States worked closely with Nigeria to help
    end the Liberian civil war. When the international community called for
    Charles Taylor to step down in 2003, the President of Nigeria provided a
    plane to take him in exile. When U.S. marines deployed to Liberia,
    Nigerian peacekeepers deployed at the same time. And today, Liberia's
    long war is over. And next week in Monrovia, Laura and I will meet with
    Africa's first democratically elected woman President, Ellen Johnson
    Sirleaf.
        Even without major conflict or civil war, security challenges remain
    in Africa, and we're working closely with local partners to address
    them. The Department of Defense has established a new African Command,
    which will work closely with African governments to crack down on human
    trafficking, piracy, and terrorism across the continent. We are
    employing diplomatic tools as well.
        In eastern Congo, we worked with leaders on the ground to broker the
    recent agreements to demobilize all remaining armed groups. And we stand
    ready to help all sides to implement them.
        In Kenya, we are backing the efforts of former U.N. Secretary-
    General Kofi Annan to end the crisis. And when we're on the continent,
    I've asked Condi Rice--that would be Secretary Rice--to travel to Kenya
    to support the work of the former Secretary-General and to deliver a
    message directly to Kenya's leaders and people: There must be an
    immediate halt to violence; there must be justice for the victims of
    abuse; and there must be a full return to democracy.

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        In Darfur, the United States will continue to call the killing what
    it is, genocide. We will continue to deliver humanitarian aid. We will
    continue to enforce sanctions, tough sanctions, against the Sudanese
    Government officials, rebel leaders, and others responsible for
    violence. We expect other nations to join us in this effort to save
    lives from the genocide that is taking place. We will use all our
    diplomatic resources to urge full deployment of an effective United
    Nations force. The decision was made to count on the United Nations to
    provide the force necessary to protect people, and so we're going to
    support their efforts. I must confess, I'm a little frustrated by how
    slow things are moving. And yet we will support their efforts to find
    forces necessary to make a robust contribution to save lives.
        On this trip, I'm going to visit with brave peacekeepers from
    Rwanda, a nation that knows the pain of genocide and was the first
    country to send troops into Darfur. Other nations need to follow
    Rwanda's example. Other nations need to take this issue seriously, just
    like the United States does, and provide more manpower for this urgent
    mission. And when they do, I pledge America will provide the training
    and equipment necessary to deploy the peacekeepers to Darfur.
        America also stands with all in Africa who live in the quiet pain of
    tyranny. We will confront tyranny. In Zimbabwe, a discredited dictator
    presides over food shortages, staggering inflation, and harsh
    repression. The decent and talented people of that country deserve much
    better. America will continue to support freedom in Zimbabwe. And I urge
    neighbors in the region, including South Africa, to do the same. We look
    forward to the hour when this nightmare is over and the people of
    Zimbabwe regain their freedom.
        These are great challenges, but there is even greater cause for
    hope. In the past 4 years alone, there have been more than 50 democratic
    elections in Africa. Thriving free societies have emerged in nations
    with Islamic majorities, Christian majorities, majorities of other
    beliefs, which is a powerful rebuke to the ideology of the extremists.
    In many nations, women have exercised the right to vote and run for
    office. Rwanda now has the highest percentage of female legislators in
    the world. Overall, more than two-thirds of the nations of sub-Saharan
    Africa are free. And for the rest, the direction of history is clear, so
    long as the United States does not lose its nerve and retreat into
    isolationism and protectionism. The day will come when a region once
    dismissed as the ``Dark Continent'' enjoys the light of liberty.
        The United States must remain fully committed to the new era of
    development that we have begun with our partners in Africa. It's in our
    national interest we do so. I'm going to work closely with the G-8
    nations to ensure they keep their promises as well. Congress must
    continue to show its commitment by fully funding the development
    programs I described today. You see, saving lives is a calling that
    crosses partisan lines. It remains equally worthy in both good economic
    times and times of economic uncertainty.
        Across Africa, people have begun to speak of the ``Lazarus effect,''
    where communities once given up for dead are coming back to life. This
    work of healing and redemption is both a matter of conscience and a wise
    exercise of American influence. The work is not done. In the face of the
    needs that remain, it's important for the African people to believe the
    American people are not going to turn away. That's part of the purpose
    of our trip. The changes taking place in Africa don't always make the
    headlines. So don't be frustrated, Mark. That means the work is quiet,
    but it is not thankless.
        Last November, I met a woman from Zambia named Bridget Chisenga.
    Bridget's husband died of AIDS, and she expected to meet the same fate.
    Then she went to a clinic operated by Catholic Relief Services, funded
    by the American people. Today, Bridget is healthy. She has a job at the
    clinic, where she helps provide AIDS medicine to others. I want our
    fellow citizens to hear what she said: ``This face is alive and vibrant
    because of your initiative. I would like to thank you.''
        Americans have heard similar words of gratitude and hope in the
    past. They were said about the people who liberated the concentration
    camps and saved the blockaded city of Berlin and stood firm until the
    prisoners in the gulags were set free. This spirit of purpose and
    compassion has always defined America. And that is why the people

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    of Africa can be certain they will always have a friend and partner in
    the United States of America.
        God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:13 a.m. at the National Museum of
    African Art. In his remarks, he referred to Rear Adm. Tim Ziemer, USN,
    (Ret.), U.S. Malaria Coordinator; Cristian Samper, Acting Secretary,
    Smithsonian Institution; Chuck Dages, executive vice president, emerging
    technology, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group; President Jakaya
    Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania; former President Charles Taylor and
    President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia; former President Olusegun
    Obasanjo of Nigeria; and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. The
    transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also included
    the remarks of the First Lady.