It may not have been at the time he was in Africa here, but we do know he was in Africa in early 1999 attending a state dinner- unfortunately I can't find my copy of the web page in question any more:
1999 early : (VALERIE AND JOE WILSON ATTEND AFRICAN STATE DINNER) Ha! Wilson and his wife showed up at a big African State dinner in 1999, as shown on this guest list published in "Africa Today." Click here and scroll down...guest list is alphabetical, and wife is listed as "Valerie Wilson" Wilson is listed as the President of Wilson International Ventures, and this dinner took place in early 1999.
via 40 posted on 08/04/2003 5:43 AM PDT by Miss Marple
Link is not working - have they taken the page with this list down to hide the evidence, or is it just a temporary glitch???? Hope someone here has copied the info....
Just had some thoughts on why (it now seems to me) Joe Wilson HAD TO BE a key source for Judith Miller:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1452115/posts?page=163#163
This (in her eyes) was Judith Miller's turf - she had 'owned' WMD stories more than just about anyone in American journalism. THERE IS NO WAY that she could have failed to pursue Joe Wilson as a source after his op-ed of 7/6/03!!!! No self-respecting journalist (whose reputation was under fire) who considered Joe Wilson's op-ed to raise critical issues about the whole WMD aspect to the war could fail to go after him for interviews, and given that he was eager to promote himself and his views he would have bitten, hard.