PRETORIA: President Bush received a cool reception on Wednesday in the capital of Africa’s largest economic power, as opinion leaders here and across the continent complained about his policies on Iraq, AIDS and the International Criminal Court.

Bush has come to this long-struggling region with the promise of billions of dollars for development, disease-fighting and counter-terrorism efforts, and he carries the prestige of making only the third sub-Saharan Africa tour by a US president. But Africans have responded with anti-Bush demonstrations, diplomatic snubs and critical media coverage.

In South Africa, the country’s revered former president Nelson Mandela, who sharply criticized Bush on Iraq and once said Bush “cannot think properly,” arranged to be out of the country while Bush is here.

The country’s dominant political party, the African National Congress, led a 2,000-person march to the US Embassy on Wednesday in protest of Bush’s visit. Hundreds more marched in Cape Town. President Thabo Mbeki left the country after a half-day with Bush to attend the 52-nation African Union meeting with the rest of Africa’s leaders in Mozambique.

In a news conference on Wednesday, Bush and Mbeki emphasized their common ground while avoiding differences on contentious issues such as Zimbabwe’s leadership, AIDS and Iraq. Mbeki told Bush in a luncheon toast that “we would not but receive you as a friend and an honoured guest,” adding: “We’re greatly strengthened, Mr President, by the knowledge that we have you as our partner and friend.”

When reporters quizzed Bush and Mbeki about their differences over Zimbabwe — Bush has been highly critical of President Robert Mugabe while Mbeki has sought to negotiate with the authoritarian ruler to end violence there — Bush said the reporters were trying to “create tensions which don’t exist.”

The Bush administration has called on African states to pressure Mugabe’s oppressive regime to make political reforms, while Mbeki has resisted doing so. “We share the same objectives,” Bush said. “The president is the most involved ... And I’m not any (sic) intention of second-guessing his tactics.” Still, while calling Mbeki an “honest broker,” Bush said he would continue “to speak out” on the subject.

Mbeki avoided any mention of AIDS, an epidemic ravaging his country, in his opening statement outlining his discussions with Bush. A senior Bush aide said the two leaders did not discuss the war in Iraq, the administration’s move last week to cut off military funding for South Africa because of its refusal to exempt US citizens from the International Criminal Court, and Mbeki’s earlier statements disputing the cause of AIDS.

Bush was Mbeki’s guest at a luncheon for about 250 people, where he dined on ostrich consomme and lamb, and toured the assembly line at a Ford Motor Co. plant, where he sought to emphasize the company’s work against AIDS during a discussion with employees. Bush had intended to go to a South African military base, but that was dropped in favour of a visit to the Ford plant. The Star, a South African newspaper, quoted South African government sources as saying the Americans were “too embarrassed” to proceed with the visit, because in recent days the administration cut military aid to South Africa and other countries that did not agree to exempt US citizens from prosecution before an International Criminal Court.

An administration official said Bush “simply decided he wanted to go to the Ford plant.”

Senegal and Botswana agreed to the exemptions, provoking some grumbling here that Bush bought their support with military aid and a presidential visit.

Despite Mbeki’s cordial embrace of Bush, his African National Congress is protesting Bush’s visit. According to the Sowetan, a South African newspaper, a number of members of parliament and other politicians “snubbed invites” from Mbeki to lunch with Bush.

The reception for Bush in Africa is not as overtly hostile as those he has received in places such as Germany, where tens of thousands filled the streets to protest what they called his unilateralist and militaristic policies. At the same time, however, the reception contrasts markedly with the large and adoring crowds that greeted former president Bill Clinton five years ago; some still have photos of Clinton in their homes.

In Uganda, which Bush will visit briefly on Friday, people say they are proud and happy to have an American president visit. But they see Bush’s interest in Africa as simply part of his war in fighting terrorism. Already, commentators in newspapers and on the radio in Uganda have said he does not really care about Africans.

“Sure, Bush is coming to visit our AIDS clinic — and he will be here for a whole four hours,” said Wafula Oguttu, editor-in-chief and managing director of The Monitor, Uganda’s well-regarded independent newspaper. “But we all know it all has to do with fighting terrorism. His AIDS money is trying to buy Africa. That is what everyone is saying.” Sitting in the busy newsroom in the capital city of Kampala, Oguttu said Africans were also greeting Bush with suspicion because he ruled “tyrannically” against the international community by going to war in Iraq.—Dawn/The LAT-WP News Service (c) The Washington Post.