Reply #7: I thought this sounded familiar: New Darfur Envoy Made Controversial Remarks on Africa

[Ian David]

New Darfur Envoy Made Controversial Remarks on Africa

Darfur is among the top issues at this week’s summit. During his speech, President Bush announced the appointment of a new special envoy to deal with the crisis. The envoy, Andrew Natsios, is a former director of the State Department aid agency USAID. The appointment is already drawing controversy over past statements Natsios has made about Africa. In a June 2001 interview with the Boston Globe, Natsios suggested global AIDS funding should be devoted almost entirely to prevention instead of treating those suffering from the disease. Natsios said paying for antiretroviral treatment is impractical because “Africans don’t know what Western time is.” He added: “You have to take (AIDS) drugs a certain number of hours a day, or they don't work. Many people in Africa have never seen a clock or a watch their entire lives.”

More:
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/09/20/1412233