George Bush: Africa and the US: a special relationship

From a speech by the US President to the President of Senegal and others, at Goree Island

My nation's journey toward justice has not been easy and it is not over. The racial bigotry fed by slavery did not end with slavery or with segregation. Many of the issues that still trouble America have roots in the bitter experience of other times. But however long the journey, our destination is set: liberty and justice for all.

The United States seeks to bring peace where there is conflict, hope where there is suffering, liberty where there is tyranny. These commitments bring me and other distinguished leaders of my government to Africa.

African peoples are now writing their own story of liberty. Africans have overcome the arrogance of colonial powers, overturned the cruelties of apartheid and made it clear that dictatorship is not the future of any nation on this continent. Many visionary African leaders have grasped the power of economic and political freedom to lift whole nations and plan boldly for Africa's development.

Because Africans and Americans share a belief in liberty and dignity, we must share in the labour of advancing those values. In a time of growing commerce across the globe, we will ensure that the nations of Africa are full partners in the world's trade and prosperity.

Against the waste and violence of civil war, we will stand together for peace. Against the merciless terrorists who threaten every nation, we will wage an unrelenting campaign of justice. Confronted with desperate hunger, we will answer with human compassion and the tools of human technology. In the face of spreading disease, we will join with you in turning the tide against Aids.