Old Friends, New Ties

By: Dr. Seema Shekhawat     

India-Africa relations span over centuries with thriving trade and cultural ties. Mahatma Gandhi’s civil disobedience movement against British colonial rule began in South Africa. In the post-independence era, India has strongly supported anti-apartheid and independence movements in several African nations. India has also time and again strongly advocated for a proactive Non-aligned movement and South-South cooperation in terms of G-77 and G-15.

The last few decades witnessed changes in both India and Africa. India has emerged a major regional power with a vast potential for becoming a global power in the near future. The booming economy and large market has made India a dream destination for many. Rapid economic development has also made India keen for new markets as well as natural resources to meet the burgeoning demand. Africa is also slowly emerging from the reputation of a conflict and poverty ridden ‘dark’ continent. A large market and more importantly having vast untapped natural resources including oil, minerals, diamonds, platinum, uranium, chromium, cobalt etc. have made African continent a major area of global interest.

Though the traditional links are valued by both India and Africa and also both are receiving international attention somehow both neglected each other in the last few decades. A selective amnesia prevailed wherein both remained largely apathetic towards each other. Despite the fact that even during the mid-1960s when India was struggling with its own set of problems ranging from poverty to development, it started the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programme for sub-Saharan African countries under which tens of thousands of African natives came to India for academic and professional trainings. However, the friendship in absence of a realist perspective has not been visible as well as substantive.

The recent times have witnessed some changes in the dismal scenario. India has been actively promoting trade with Africa in recent years. To boost the country’s trade with the Sub-Saharan African region, the Government of India launched the Focus: Africa programme under the EXIM Policy 2002-07. Under the programme India provides financial assistance in the form of Market Development Assistance to various trade promotion organizations, export promotion councils and apex chambers. Another important landmark is the Indian government’s fully funded US$1.0 billion Pan African e-Network-project launched last year. The project aims at providing instant connectivity between all 53 members of African Union (AU) by bridging the digital divide. The network is also expected to contribute to development in the fields of education and healthcare wherein the major universities and hospitals of Africa and India are in the process of being connected.

Nevertheless, the relations between India and Africa with vast potential continue to remain at low ebb. The annual two-way trade between the two is about US$25 billion; whereas China’s annual trade is staggering at US$55 billion. Hence, the need of the hour is to revive old friendship by forging new ties wherein a cumulative effort in all the spheres including economic cooperation need to be made. It is in this context that the first ever Indo-African summit held recently in April in New Delhi that brought together Indian leaders and their counterparts from 14 African countries, chosen by AU as representatives of the all the 53 countries. It can be applauded as a pragmatic step towards revival of old friendship with a new vision. The importance of this summit is thus to be seen in the background of a changed international political scenario with two significant implications. First, the globalization and liberalization are playing a key role in building partnership among nations and groups. Second, the world is moving towards multi-polarity wherein regional powers are key stakeholders in international affairs.

Summit Benefits

The outcome of the summit was two major documents: Delhi Declaration and Framework for Cooperation. The African countries and India have pledged to strengthen the friendship by diversifying cooperation in multiple areas ranging from political to security related issues; from economic to scientific and technological; from human resource development to social, cultural and other areas of mutual interest. While India looks at Africa as prospective major energy supplier and market for exports Africa is looking towards India for human resource, market for its natural resources and a model of democracy. There is huge scope for cooperation in health, agriculture, science and technology, tourism, food security, industrial growth, infrastructure development etc. Besides trade there are many other dimensions of cooperation.

The fact that persons of Indian origin had settled in large numbers in Africa could help strengthen not only economic but also cultural ties. India and Africa can play a major role in the reform of United Nations wherein both have claims for seat in the Security Council. Besides, the Brettonwood institutions like World Bank and International Monetary Fund need to be made sensitive towards the developing and under developed countries. Their tilt towards developed countries can only be balanced if the countries of South can come on a single platform by forging solidarity. Other common issues of global concern include the environmental degradation, climate change, terrorism that have badly affected India as well as many African countries, international peace and security, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, combating illicit trafficking in small arms, and drugs, non-proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, promotion of pluralism and democracy, sustainable development underpinned by social justice, eradication of hunger, poverty as well as combating diseases etc.

Equal Partnership

Africa has become an area of interest for all the major international players like United States, Russia, European Union, Japan and China. It seems that India has not kept pace with the international attempts of woo Africa. It is argued that the late entry or rather re-entry in African continent could adversely affect the Indian prospects. However, here it is important to understand the issue of equality of relations that African countries are desperately looking for. The African countries remained at the receiving end of the unequal relations wherein there was a direct relation between the increasing depletion of natural resources to cater to the needs of the global powers and no significant improvement in the life standards of natives of the African continent. The words of African Union Chairman, Alpha Oumar Konare during the summit need to be read carefully. He said, “We want to deal with equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit. There are immense opportunities for cooperation. We want to deal on the basis of a win-win policy for mutual benefit.” The words clearly indicate that African countries have realized that continuation of the colonial system of exploitation of African resources is one of the main reasons for their underdevelopment.

The repeated assertion in the summit for an equal and mutually beneficial relation by both India and African countries is an indication that India stands at a different platform wherein it is looking for a long term partnership with bilateral, regional as well global implications. In the opening address, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the Delhi Declaration and the Africa-India Framework for Cooperation will provide the blueprint for India-Africa dialogue and engagement in the 21st century. He pointed “The time has come to create a new architecture for our engagement in the 21st century. We visualize a partnership that is anchored in the fundamental principles of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit. Working together, the two billion people of India and Africa can set an example of fruitful cooperation in the developing world.”1 The Delhi Declaration also asserts that the partnership “will be based on the fundamental principles of equality, mutual respect, and understanding between our peoples for our mutual benefit.”2

In the last two months India has time and again repeated that the relations in all spheres would be equal and wherever possible tilted towards the African countries. India, unlike other players in the African continent, is not aiming at a purely commercial relation but keeping track with its foreign policy of serving the national interest by engaging and not eliminating others. It aims at providing avenues to Africa to decide its own future course of action. Since independence, India has been a strong proponent of development in the south by cooperation. At the G-77 Summit in Havana held from 10 to 14 April 2000, India pointed that if the benefits of science and technology are “spread and are distributed equitably, between countries and within them, humanity will advance and social justice will be promoted as never before.”3

The most striking gesture made by India in the course of the recent summit meeting was to offer duty-free entry for many goods from least developed countries, many of which are in Africa. India will unilaterally open its market for goods from Africa through a duty free preference scheme. This will allow cotton, cocoa, aluminum ores, copper ores, cashew nuts, cane sugar, ready-made garments, fish fillets etc. from Africa to gain duty free access to the Indian markets. With an aim of deepening its strategic and economic ties with Africa, India also announced that New Delhi will double its financial credit to Africa to US$5.4 billion from US$2.15 billion in five years. The prime minister also announced an enhanced quota of 1600 seats annually for Africans under its technical assistance training program. Besides, the attempts of India in capacity building and developing human resources in Africa, Pan e-network are some of the other attempts that India has taken unilaterally to promote ties with Africa. Last year Ethiopia’s Minister of State for Trade and Industry Tadesse Haile, on a visit to India, had said that India should be a ‘shareholder and not just a stakeholder in Africa’s development process.’4 In the light of the above Indian unilateral attempts it would not be an exaggeration to say that India is not only aiming at becoming a shareholder but a significant contributor to the development of Africa.

Conclusion

The New Delhi summit after a considerable gap has brought back the focus on the revival of old friendship with a new vigour and new vision. Post-summit, it is expected that the pace of India’s engagement with Africa would pick momentum wherein both can become each other’s key ally in not only fulfilling domestic needs but also working together in the international arena. The reports of Indian private sector making inroads in African continent are laudable. But these need to be accompanied by a continuous high level political engagement. The decision of the continuation of the Summit meetings at regular intervals is important in this context. While the debate on Indian competition with other international players especially China in Africa goes on, India must recognize the emerging imperatives of dynamism in its relations with Africa. It is true that on the basis of old relations India cannot claim exclusive concessions in Africa. But at the same time, India must use the traditional relationship to boost its economic ties with African nations with a renewed vigour.

* Dr. Seema Shekhawat is currently associated with Centre for African Studies, University of Mumbai.