AfricaFew Africans cheered President Bush's re-election, reflecting his reputation in much of the continent as a warmonger.
Commentators said they expected the Iraq crisis and the war on terror to continue to divert US attention from efforts to rescue Africa from poverty, famine and conflict.
"The Americans have voted for a militarised Rambo rather than someone who appeals to their reason," said Mr Bolaji Akinyemi, a former Nigerian foreign minister. One East African dignitary was openly despondent. Kenyan vice-president Mr Moody Awori told reporters he was worried that the US would become more dictatorial and extremist if Bush was re-elected.
"I think we are going to see more dictatorship on an international scale. We are going to see more extremism come out of there (the US). We are going to see even more isolation where Americans will not bother about the United Nations."
Some said Africa's 800 million people would have remained all but invisible to Washington, whoever had won.
"Most of Africa would have preferred John Kerry as president, but we have to understand Africa does not feature on the US agenda, it does not count at all," said Prof Sipho Seepe, academic director of South Africa's Henley Management College.
But John Stremlau, professor of international relations at the University of Witwatersrand, said South Africa stood to gain by a Bush win. "(President Thabo) Mbeki is not disguising a good working relationship with Bush is likely to pay handsome dividends," he said.
The Bush White House has said it has done more for Africa than any previous US administration. But many observers say the Iraq fallout has overshadowed the good will Bush built up when he championed a $15 billion anti-AIDS programme.