India Needs to Adopt a Holistic Approach Towards Africa, Feel Experts

November 19, 2013

New Delhi: The 2nd India Africa Strategic Dialogue at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) highlighted the need for India to rebalance its policies towards Africa, developing a micro policy that focuses on specific sectors such as food security and agriculture. Both the Indian and the African participants agreed that though cooperation between India and Africa has increased after 2008, there is no mechanism to monitor this engagement.

The panellists during the two day dialogue advocated the need for utilising the Indian Diaspora in Africa for enhancing the partnership between India and Africa. A need to evolve a better structure for India-Africa forum summit was projected with a suggestion to set up dialogue mechanisms at track 2 level, which could move up towards 1.5 level, enhancing India-Africa partnership. From an African perspective it was felt that the real problem is fragmentation of Africa, which puts up constraints not only for India-Africa partnership, but also Africa’s relationship with other countries as well.

The speakers elaborated upon shared security challenges between the India and Africa. They said that in the global security context, the security challenges have increasingly become multi-dimensional, embracing factors like tensions caused by non-state actors, challenges posed by energy insecurity, drug, arms and human trafficking, problems related to immigration, environmental problems, etc.

Common challenges for both India and African countries were discussed, with the panellists advocating the need to devise a joint strategy to deal with them. The joint strategy is all the more necessary as in next few decades, both India and Africa are to emerge as the two overly populated areas, with a large number of youth population and with similar kinds of socio-economic security challenges, such as poverty, unemployment, inequality, etc. There is a need for greater collaboration between India and the African Union on matters related to security.

The panellists agreed that India’s multi-pronged approach in dealing with terrorism over the past six decades can be useful for Africa where terrorism has taken a centre-stage after the Kenya and Tanzania US Embassy bombings in 1998 and especially after 9/11.

The speakers also emphasised upon the increasing importance of India-Africa maritime security cooperation to confront the challenges of the 21st century. The lack of governance and lack of ineffective security apparatus in the coastal areas has resulted in favourable conditions for the growth of terrorism, piracy and other illegal activities. India can share its best practices with the African nations and assist in the evolution of an African maritime economy and a comprehensive strategy for maritime development.

Shri Shashank, Former Foreign Secretary, Government of India, released the IDSA publication, ‘India and Africa: Enhancing Mutual Engagement’, edited by Ms Ruchita Beri, Senior Research Associate and Coordinator, Africa, Latin America, Caribbean and United Nations Centre at IDSA, New Delhi, on the last day of the Dialogue. The book represents an effort to build on existing partnerships between African countries and India and to explore new areas of convergence for mutual engagement. It originated from the First India-Africa Strategic Dialogue hosted by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi in November 2011. It brings together Indian and African perspectives on global, regional and bilateral issues of strategic relevance to both sides.

The dialogue was a continuation of the First India-Africa Forum Summit, held in New Delhi in 2008 that marked the beginning of a robust and contemporary partnership. The second such summit, held in Addis Ababa in May 2011, emphasised the renewed focus of India to strengthen and enhance its partnership with countries in the African continent. It brought out two important documents, the Addis Ababa Declaration and the Africa-India Framework for Enhanced Cooperation. Both agreements offer direction to further Indo-African relations in the coming years, and provide a framework for the establishment of a long-term and mutually beneficial partnership encompassing diverse fields.