Bush plans $100m war on terror in Africa

AHEAD of his first trip to Africa, US President George W Bush was last night set to announce a $100 million counter-terror plan for the continent and address one of its worst conflicts by calling on Liberian President Charles Taylor to resign.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Mr Bush would deliver a policy address on Africa dealing with regional conflicts, development issues, counter-terrorism and the fight against AIDS. He will visit Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Uganda and Nigeria during his July 7-12 trip.

Renewed civil strife in Liberia has wrecked hopes for a cease-fire that is less than a week old. It prompted Britain to urge the US to lead a multinational force to bolster any cease-fire between rebels and the government.

In Mr Bush’s speech, Mr Fleischer said: “The president will announce his support for the cease-fire that was signed earlier this month and he will call for President Taylor to step down so that his country can be spared further bloodshed.”

US officials declined to say whether Mr Bush would address Britain’s call for American intervention, but one official said he was not likely to make any “dramatic” announcements. Likewise, officials declined to say whether Bush would support UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s call to increase the size of the UN peacekeeping force in the Congo. Mr Bush will urge the government of Congo to support the creation of an integrated national army and of a transitional government by June 30, Mr Fleischer said.

Mr Bush also will discuss the importance of agreement between warring factions in Sudan. The counter-terrorism initiative aims mainly at bolstering air and sea port security in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda and Tanzania, said Mr Fleischer.