Abuja, July 12: US President George W Bush wrapped
up a five-nation tour of Africa today with a promise to "be
active" in war-torn Liberia but without saying what that would
entail for US troops.
Bush today met privately with Nigerian president
Olusegun Obasanjo, and Liberia, trade and aids were high on
the agenda.
Bush is awaiting the reports from teams of military
experts, who are surveying the situation in the West African
nation and involved in talks with regional leaders, before
deciding whether to deploy us soldiers to help keep the
peace in Liberia.
"Our assessment teams are still in place," bush
told reporters. "I told the president we would, you know, be
active. The definition of that will be made known when we
understand all the parameters."
In a country - Africa's most populous - where about one
million children have been orphaned by aids, Bush also met
with HIV/AIDS patients before closing the trip with remarks
at an annual summit that focuses on development in
sub-Saharan Africa.
Bush's tour took him to corners of Africa most
devastated by the HIV/AIDS pandemic that has killed thousands
and has made orphans out of countless others. Nearly 30
million live with HIV/AIDS.
In private meetings with the leaders of Senegal,
South Africa, Botswana and Uganda, Bush praised their aids
awareness efforts but urged them to do more to help their
countries and the continent overcome the often-fatal disease.
Bureau Report
