Basking in an exuberant welcome from streets teeming with well-wishers, President Barack Obama today declared a new era in US relations with Africa based on partnership as opposed to charitable aid.
Obama's visit to Tanzania, the last stop on a weeklong tour of the continent, offers him a unique opportunity to meet with a fellow US president hailed for his Africa aid programmes. Former President George W Bush plans to be in the same city for a conference on African women organised by his institute.
The presidents' brief meeting, scheduled for tomorrow, highlights how the US philosophy on relations with the developing continent has evolved since the time when Bush was in office.
Obama praised Bush's funding for AIDS treatment in particular during a news conference with President Jakaya Kikwete, shortly after his arrival to fawning crowds in the streets.
"I think this is one of his crowning achievements," Obama said of Bush's President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. "Because of the commitment of the Bush administration and the American people, millions of lives have been saved."
Obama rejected the notion that he's reduced the US commitment to the programme, saying reduced spending on PEPFAR is because it has become more efficient at treating more people. But he also said he wants to change the approach the US takes with Africa.
"We are looking at a new model that's based not just on aid and assistance, but on trade and partnership," he said. For example, he said he doesn't want to just provide food aid but help for Tanzanians to grow their own.
"Ultimately, the goal here is for Africa to build Africa for Africans," Obama said. "And our job is to be a partner in that process."
He said that philosophy applies to addressing conflict as well, and that includes addressing rampant violence in Congo. Obama told a Tanzanian reporter who asked how the United States would help bring peace that ultimately the countries around Congo have to find a solution.
"We can't force a solution onto the region," he said. "The people of the region have to stand up and say, 'That's enough. It's time to move forward in a different way.
