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DAR ES SALAAM, Feb 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush will make a statement on Kosovo independence on Tuesday, a White House spokeswoman said.

"It will be about Kosovo and it will regard their declaration of independence," Dana Perino said aboard Air Force One as Bush flew from Arusha to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Earlier, Bush said in an interview on NBC television that the people of Kosovo were now independent, his first comment on the territory's weekend declaration of independence from Serbia.

"What he meant by that is that the Kosovars have declared their independence," Perino said.

She said the U.S. State Department was expected to say something on Monday. "That's the usual course of action when a state declares their independence," Perino told reporters travelling with Bush, who is on a five-nation Africa tour.

In the interview, Bush said: "We'll watch to see how the events unfold today ... The Kosovars are now independent. It's something I've advocated along with my government."

Asked whether Bush recognized Kosovo as an independent state, Perino said: "He didn't announce that."

Majority Albanian Kosovo declared independence on Sunday, ending a long chapter in the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia.

The United States and most of the European Union's 27 members say they are ready to recognize Kosovo, although Spain has said it will not do so.

Russia and Serbia strongly oppose its independence.

Perino said Bush will make the statement before leaving for Rwanda, at around 7:30 a.m. (0430 GMT) on Tuesday morning. (Reporting by Tabassum Zakaria; Writing by Deborah Charles; Editing by Catherine Evans)