Question

Once a 'dark continent’, Africa today is definitely a ‘happening continent’. Considering this, India needs to intensify and deepen engagement with Africa. Comment.

Answer 1

Approach:

• In the introduction, write about How Africa is on the rise both economically and socially.
• Write Importance of Africa for India.
• What are various Challenges that India might face in deepening ties with Africa.
• Write what steps need to be taken by GoI in this regard.
• Write an optimistic conclusion about India-Africa relations.

Answer:
Once a 'dark continent’, Africa today is definitely a ‘happening continent’. All major powers across the globe have recognized this significant positive change across most of sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa has made a turnaround from those depths that it had reached in the last century, and is today on the mend. Africa is home to over half a dozen of the fastest growing countries of this decade. Despite a few lingering ethnic and religious conflicts and governance issues in some countries, the people of this vast region are demanding and getting better governance, democracy, the rule of law and transparency like never before.
Globalization has incorporated this formerly neglected part of the earth in its march forward. Most of Africa is experiencing moderate to healthy economic growth rates, which is fuelling the growth of its middle class and demand for more goods and services. Poverty rates are also on the decline.
Considering this Hon'ble Prime Minister of India has accorded Africa high priority in recent years.

Importance of Africa for India:

• Energy and other resource Security: With a consistent GDP growth and aim of becoming a developed country, there is a need for energy and other resources; Africa remains a crucial source of natural resources.Ex: crude oil and gas has emerged as Africa’s leading export to India, diversifying sources of supply from the middle-east.
• Economic and Trade Interests:
• Most African countries will be “middle income” by 2025 providing huge trade and investment opportunities as well as market for Indian exports.
• For India, bolstering economic ties with Africa is of paramount importance though trading patterns currently remains small overall especially as compared to China.
• Development and exploitation of marine resources with littoral countries of Indian Ocean thereby harnessing fruits of Blue Economy.
• Security:
• Terrorism: Terrorism has been on the rise in Africa in recent years. While India is not directly affected by the localized terrorist organizations in Africa, the troubling links between Somali and other groups with militant groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan region could significantly threaten India’s future security.
• Piracy and Securing trade routes: Focus on Indian Ocean related issues, security and development. Secure freedom of navigation in sea lines of communication protecting India’s international trade moving by sea.
• Controlling drug, Human trafficking and other Organized crimes.
• Strategic interests:
• Africa remains vital for India’s emergence as a global actor in the international institutional arena. Ex: In reforming existing global governance structures like U.N. Security Council (UNSC), and shape the emerging global regimes related to food, energy, climate, water, cybersecurity, and use of outer space for development purposes.
• China factor: increasing Chinese presence (military base at Djibouti) and signs of Chinese neo-colonialism through ‘Debt-trap diplomacy’/’Creditor
• Imperialism’/’Chequebook Diplomacy’ as seen in multiple African countries.
• India and African countries can oppose skewed policies and rules in World Trade organization (WTO) put forward by developed countries, especially in the areas of Agriculture, anti-dumping provisions, E-commerce and Intellectual Property Rights etc
• Also due to its geographical location, huge potential for achieving Climate Change goals through India’s flagship initiative International Solar Alliance.
• Controlling Poaching and hunting, thereby conserving biodiversity, sharing of benefits and further R&D for sustainable development.
• People-to-people relationship and cultural cooperation between India and African continent and shared vision for Humanity's future.

Challenges for India:

• There is “considerable competition” for India within Asia for ambitious African projects
• Being “sensitive” towards local concerns and contribute to the development and prosperity of local communities is a prerequisite Piracy related activities off the coast of Somalia. However, India’s most significant achievement in Africa has been the naval escorting of more than 3000 merchantmen since 2008, in the pirate-infested waters off the Horn of Africa. The MEA also remarked“ no piracy attacks have taken place east of 65 degree East Longitude for more than 3 years now”
• The disease outbreak such as Ebola needs to be given special attention
• Racial discrimination is one of the biggest challenge.
• The rise of terrorism with organizations operating such as the Al Qaeda, ISIS, Boko Haram etc. give dangerous signals as India too has long been a victim of terrorism itself.

Difference in the approaches of Indian and Chinese engagement with African Countries.

Indian engagement lays emphasis on the long term ties, which people centric, based on mutual cooperation and aspirations. People Centric- Enhancing Africa’s productive capacities, diversifying skills and knowledge, and investing in SMEs are on the cards. India is also seeking to reinvigorate its cultural links with East Africa under the rubric of Project ‘Mausam’, it seeks to revival of lost linkages between -East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Contrarily, China’s approach is more trade oriented and resource-extraction, infrastructure development and elite-level wealth creation.

Connectivity- India’s African cross-border connectivity initiatives have three primary forms:

• Maritime-port connectivity under the government’s “Security and Growth for All in the Region” (SAGAR) and the Sagar Mala initiative
• Digital connectivity under the Pan African e-Network project on tele-education and tele-medicine (launched in 2004)
• Air connectivity through direct flights between Indian and African cities.
• In contrast, China’s focus is solely on big ticket investments that will provide strategic control to it for enhancing its economic might.
• Joint Initiatives -India, Japan and many African nations have also launched a trilateral initiative, the Asia Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC- The AAGC is a consultative initiative between three equal partners India, Japan and Africa which contrasts it to China’s BRI).
• This is to develop ‘industrial corridors’,‘ institutional networks’ for the growth of Asia and Africa, and to promote development cooperation.
• Notably, BRI is structured more as a top-down, unilateral approach to secure and enhance China’s economic and strategic interests.
• Many countries including Djibouti, Côte d’Ivoire, Somalia and Ghana have ISA framework agreement to join the International Solar Alliance.
• Indian Ocean Rim Association is also a forum for cooperation and collaboration where India and African countries are working together to forward vision of Shared prosperity.

Military and security: African region is important for the security and geo-strategic considerations of both India and China.
India -India’s security and defence cooperation with Africa is mainly limited to anti-piracy operations off the coast of Africa.

• Other aspects include -deployment of Indian forces to UN peacekeeping missions in Africa, and joint-naval patrolling of Western Indian Ocean.
• These engagements are mainly with Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, and the island nations of “Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros”.

China -China supports Africa’s military transformation by providing equipment, advanced technology, and independent capacity-building. The “China-Africa Defence and Security Forum” is an important development in this context. China’s military bases are also a cause of concern for both Africa and India.

Way Forward:
There should also be greater connectivity and people-to-people contact, which is vital for growth of relations. To generate and incubate more ideas, both India and Africa should look to engage with one another in more programmes and platforms at the Track I diplomacy and Track II diplomacy levels. Indian diaspora is also vital in enhancing people-people contact.