"Africa in the 21st century is a continent of potential," he said, "where democracy is advancing, where economies are growing, and leaders are meeting challenges with purpose and determination."
Bush's first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as president, in 2003, took him to two of the continent's economic heavyweights, South Africa and Nigeria, among other stops. The countries he will visit on this trip were chosen to highlight economic and political successes.
Gayle Smith, who oversaw National Security Council work on Africa during the final years of the Clinton administration, estimated that peacekeeping operations were underfunded by as much as $600 million.
Holmes, a 28-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service, said, "The focus of this trip is legacy, legacy, legacy. They really want to highlight and enshrine what the president has accomplished."
The administration's primary health initiative in Africa, the anti-AIDS and malaria program, is seen as the largest international health campaign in history.
"He has put his money where his mouth is," Holmes said, but "there is much more the United States could do."
The $18-billion emergency program for AIDS relief will be one of the central themes of the trip. Bush is seeking a new five-year outlay of $30 billion.
Bush said that when he visited Africa five years ago, 50,000 people were receiving medicine to treat HIV/AIDS. Now, he said, more than 1.3 million people are being treated, and the program has benefited tens of millions of people on the continent.
"Some call this a remarkable success," he said. "I call it a good start."
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james.gerstenzang @latimes.com
Times staff writer Paul Richter contributed to this report
