Air travelers are perhaps unduly worried about SARS, the severe acute respiratory syndrome. The world at large, however, stands petrified at the virulence of SAPS, the supremely arrogant patriotic syndrome. The climax of the recent upsurge of its U.S. genetic variant was too shocking and awful. The two syndromes have distinct pathogenic features. SARS affects the lungs. SAPS invades the brain tissue, perturbs neurotransmitter levels, and disrupts neural links. Relatively few have contracted SARS thus far. SAPS has engulfed virtually a whole nation. SARS can be rapidly lethal. Curiously, SAPS threatens the well being and lives of unfortunate outsiders who come under the intense gaze of the infected nation. The mode of transmission of SARS has not been precisely delineated. SAPS, however, is known to spread electronically, principally through the television screen. The education system and other social institutions also play a role in its propagation.

I read with satisfaction and excitement word by word the "Open Letter to President Bush” (see PAMBAZUKA 118). I include myself as an endorser of such a detailed and well-assessed letter which touches on a lot of the subjects that affect the work, aspirations and hearts of many Africans longing for continental prosperity. However, I was disappointed that the writers ignored African-Americans, who are a strategic and powerful constituency for Africa in the United States. As continental Africans, we share ancestral, historical, societal and economic sameness with African-Americans even though we may live on two different continents. African activists and civil society - especially those engaged in changing US/Africa relations - have an obligation to involve and tap the powerful voices of African-Americans.

The letter (PAMBAZUKA NEWS 118: OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH) and the following links and news items are a brilliant summary of the state of African politics and human rights at this point in time. Helen Wangusa's letter to Bush is a masterpiece of insight and analysis into the shameful manipulation of the media for political purposes that is driving the American agenda in Africa. There are many more problems in Africa than can be covered in this one newsletter, and I would like to take this opportunity to recommend subscription to Pambazuka News to everyone interested in human rights.

Michael Carmichael
The Oxford Centre for Public Affairs, UK

On his first week back from his whirlwind trip across Africa, President George W. Bush will have a lot of explaining to do. Visiting UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will want to know what the U.S. president is prepared to do in war-torn Liberia. Annan and many in Congress, as well as AIDS activists both here and in Africa, also want to know whether Bush is prepared to push Congress to approve the full US$3 billion dollars for fiscal year 2004 as the first instalment of his $15 billion emergency program to fight AIDS in Africa.

Much of last Friday's proceedings at the Maputo heads of state summit of the African Union (AU) was dominated by discussions, behind closed doors, of the conflicts that have raged in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Ivory Coast and others.

African leaders meeting in Mozambique last week for the second African Union (AU) summit said the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (TB) was a priority for the continent, and a new regional effort which would demand greater financial support from the international community was needed.

President Mwai Kibaki has called on African countries to unite against corruption, tribalism and poverty, which he termed enemies of unity in the continent. The President said most of Africa's problems were caused by poor governance.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in the Central African Republic (CAR) has set aside 10 million francs CFA (US $17,988) to assist some 2,000 people who have returned home since June, the agency's country representative, Emile Segbor, told IRIN on Thursday.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) repatriated 334 more refugees from neighbouring Gabon to the Republic of Congo, the agency's refugee protection officer in Brazzaville told IRIN last Friday.

The petro-military-commerce safari that George Bush embarked upon last week may well succeed in the areas that progressive critics fear most, writes Johannesburg-based academic and activist Patrick Bond. First, the imperial-subimperial nexus in South Africa and Nigeria will tighten. Second, the possibility of increased US military activity on the continent will increase in some areas with bases in West Africa and the Horn of Africa to guard oil fields and lesson in others.

Kenya's National AIDS Control Council, the agency that coordinates the country's response to the AIDS epidemic, has recently cut off funding to four fraudulent nongovernmental AIDS organisations and is investigating another 10 organisations, the New York Times reports.

The Central African Republic is trying to ditch its reputation as a smuggler's den and has taken a key step towards cleaning up its diamond industry. This week at an international conference in Bangui, CAR joined the Kimberley Process, a global initiative aimed at ending trade in so-called "blood diamonds" by establishing that exported gems have not come from conflict areas.

The second African Union (AU) summit in Maputo was drawing to a close on Saturday after two days of deliberation where heads of state elected new leaders responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation.

African heads of state and government have a busy few days ahead of them, as they meet for the second summit of the African Union in Maputo, Mozambique, from 10-12 July. With some devastating crises afflicting the continent, their citizens look to them for the leadership to end Africa’s armed conflicts and address problems like drought and famine, as well as speed up development, promote democracy and strengthen regional integration and trade.

The government of Sudan has appealed to the African Union to actively support the ongoing peace process between the government and the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), a diplomatic source told IRIN.

Political sleaze is the biggest corruption scourge facing the world, according to a global survey of public perceptions released July 3 by an international watchdog. The poll for Transparency International found that when asked which area of public life they would most like be rid of corruption, people in three out of every four countries pointed to politics.

As Africa has a strong actual and potential international comparative advantage in agriculture and agri-processed products, improving African agricultural producers’ access to world markets should benefit African agriculture, exports and overall economic growth significantly. However, developed and even developing countries generally operate high tariff and non tariff barriers to agricultural trade, and many developed economies subsidise agricultural production and exports, depressing world agricultural prices and undermining Africa’s options of pursuing agricultural export oriented economic growth. Hence, achieving agricultural trade liberalisation in the Doha round is important for Africa’s future development prospects, says this briefing from the South African Institute of International Affairs, available on the web page of the Southern African Regional Poverty Network.

Transparency International, an organisation that exposes government corruption, on Monday urged African heads of state to adopt a continental anti-corruption treaty. The Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption is scheduled to be presented for adoption to the heads of state at the African Union Summit to be held in Maputo on Wednesday.

The former president of Mali, Alpha Oumar Konare, looked set to become Africa’s top diplomat Tuesday, after the formal withdrawal of Amara Essy, the current interim chairperson of the African Union Commission. Essy said: "The Office of the President of Cote d’Ivoire, my country, announced on Monday 7 July, 2003, the withdrawal of my candidacy to the post of Chairperson of the African Union."

The US government is attempting to block all discussion of structural changes to the World Bank's governance, something which has been repeatedly demanded by Bank critics and promised by ministers at international summits, according to the Bretton Woods Project, a London-based World Bank, IMF watchdog group. A key problem with World Bank and IMF governance structures is that the 46 Sub-Saharan African countries have just two Executive Directors on the Bank and Fund Boards to represent them all, says the Project.