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CNN Sunday Morning

Powell Discusses AIDS Epidemic in Africa

Aired May 27, 2001 - 07:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In other international news yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is in Uganda at this hour, the last stop on the four-nation tour of Africa. Powell has pledged various forms of U.S. aid to confront some of the crimes plaguing the continent such as war, famine and AIDS.

But his mission of diplomacy also contains a message of unity, as CNN's Jim Clancy explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke of an emotional twinge as he arrived in Mali to begin his four-nation tour that puts Africa solidly on the U.S. agenda. As he engaged African leaders or visited AIDS clinics, his African heritage sometimes eclipsed his status as the top U.S. diplomat, designating Powell as a role model for the continent.

Powell visited an AIDS center in Suwato (ph) and reaffirmed U.S. commitments to battle the disease.

COLIN POWELL, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: In the future, I think we will make the case to the Congress that we should continue to increase funding for HIV-AIDS work.

CLANCY: Powell used this South African visit to enlist government support to change the political environment in neighboring Zimbabwe.

POWELL: Both of us see the problem the same way in that action has to be taken both on the economic front and on the political front to stabilize the situation and to persuade Mr. Magabe to move in a more democratic fashion toward the resolution of the problems within Zimbabwe.

CLANCY: Throughout his travels, the secretary of state called for partnership to solve political problems and conflicts and promote development.

SHEILA SISULU, SOUTH AFRICAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: That partnership is premised on the understanding that African leaders themselves will take steps to making Africa stable, peaceful, democratic and respecting human rights. CLANCY: The Secretary of State's visit includes Mali, South Africa, Uganda and Kenya. Each will include issues of HIV-AIDS, democracy and human rights. A new U.S. policy towards Sudan may come in for discussions during his stops in Nairobi and Kampala.

GWENDOLYN MIKELL, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: This administration is aware that the surrounding countries can play an important role in applying pressure on Sudan. The U.S. is concerned that it now take a different approach to Sudan. Instead of the isolation and the sort of marginalization of Sudan that they did in the past, they would like to move forward with a policy now of engagement.

CLANCY: That engagement would address issues of child soldiers and the civil war itself that pits the Islamist North against the Christian and anomas (ph) South. Billions in dollars in new oil wealth could offer Sudanese hope. But that wealth also poses a risk; it may be used to intensify the conflict and the suffering.

Wherever Colin Powell travels African leaders are likely to seek financial aid and that could translate into political support and some Africans are urging caution.

PHILIP TAZI, AFRICAN CORRESPONDENT ASSOCIATION: Many of them are going to ask for assistance. But I also believe that the symmetry of things should be very affronted on one point, which is that there is no way the United States would keep pumping money into Africa just to have the money turn around and be taken out and sent in Swiss banks or even American banks. This is very, very important. Most of the money that has been extended to Africa by Europe, by Japan, by the United States has been wasted.

CLANCY: Jim Clancy, CNN.

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