Africa Media Watch

US Secretary of State Colin Powell's arrival in Africa has not generated widespread enthusiasm in the media, but whilst opinion columns in Nigerian newspapers have harsh words for the US, the South African press detects benefits from the visit.

Superpower takes a bruising

A commentary by Ghanaian radio may sum up the nervous mood greeting the State Department's new head:

Bill Clinton recently attended an Aids conference in Nigeria

"No recent American leader took as much personal interest in Africa as former President Clinton and now with the new US administration in office, Africans are anxious to see whether President George Bush... continues the trend."

Nigeria's Vanguard argues that the United States' position in the world has taken some hard knocks, for which it has only its own "conceit" to blame.

The paper lists wrangles ranging from Cuba to national missile defence, and it concentrates on its recent ejection from two UN bodies.

It does seem the ouster of the US from the UN bodies is a signal of a world no longer at ease with the US

Nigerian newspaper Vanguard

"You can imagine the shock when the mighty US was voted out of the UN's 13-member International Narcotics Control Board," it writes.

"It was an abomination! It sounded like fiction, but it is true, and the US does not seem to know what hit her."

Then, to add insult to injury, "the country that sees herself as the embodiment of human rights in the globe was voted out of the UN Human Rights Commission!"

Aids is perhaps the single greatest threat to Africa today

"It does seem the ouster of the US from the UN bodies is a signal of a world no longer at ease with the US," the paper says.

An editorial in another Nigerian newspaper, the Post Express, revives an old allegation against the US - that the CIA manufactured the AIDS virus.

It quotes Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as saying that CIA laboratories "lost control of the virus which was tested on black Haitian prisoners".

"Can it really be true?" the paper asks. "Bush of America must not ignore the Gaddafi allegation."

Teasing the Americans

South Africa's Pretoria News says goading the US has become par for the course for its country.

"It has become a political pursuit as popular as winding up the West Indies at cricket or walloping the Wallabies at rugby," it remarks.

Signs of movement in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi peace processes can be linked to Powell's African tour

South African newspaper The Citizen

"It is called poking a finger in Uncle Sam's eye. Nelson Mandela was a past master at it. Remember how the new South Africa cuddled up to Cuba, Iran and Libya - almost daring the Americans to say anything?"

The question now is how successful President Thabo Mbeki will be in "playing the hazardous game of baiting the superpower", the paper writes.

Another South African paper, The Citizen, takes a more positive view of Mr Powell's trip, seeing it as a boost both for Africa's international profile and for democratic values.

"Powell's visit so early in his tenure is proof that Africa has relevance for the world's superpower," the paper writes.

"And the Pretoria stopover signals the importance of South Africa in any policy decisions."

Though Mr Powell's tour may be restricted to four relatively stable African states, the paper already detects a knock-on effect further afield.

Zimbabwe's treatment of white farmers has caused outrage abroad

"Signs of movement in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi peace processes can be linked to Powell's African tour," it writes.

"The main actors need to impress him."

As for South Africa itself, the tour appears to have encouraged the government to take a stance on political repression in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

The strong condemnation of attacks on white-owned farms by the South African high commissioner in Harare, Jeremiah Ndou, may also be "attributable to Powell", the paper says.

"If this is the effect Powell has on the neighbourhood, he should come more often."

Ideal for the job

South Africa's Sunday Independent carries an article arguing that Colin Powell is uniquely well-qualified to assist Africa because of both his strong standing in the US and his background.

Powell's strong ties with Bush are a cause for optimism

The article compares Mr Powell's popularity as US secretary of state to that of Thomas Jefferson and his close relations with President Bush to those between George Marshall and Harry Truman.

Where Africa is concerned, his military background will be invaluable since "wars are among Africa's biggest problems"

"Powell brings first-hand experience to any discussion of the logistical, technical and training needs of African peace operations, where American assistance might do the most good," the article says.

The first secretary of state who has actually felt the sting of racism

South African newspaper The Sunday Independent

"More importantly, once agreements are reached he has the clout in Washington to make sure they are implemented in a timely and effective fashion."

The article sees Mr Powell's Afro-American background as his other main asset.

He is "the first secretary of state who has actually felt the sting of racism", it says.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.