On 13 April 2025, Tanzania’s Minister of Defence, Stergomena Lawrence Tax and India’s Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth in the presence of Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi jointly inaugurated AIKEYME (Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement), a major multinational naval exercise off Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.^[1] This exercise was co-hosted by Indian Navy and Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Force (TPDF). The AIKEYME exercise reflected India’s growing maritime cooperation with the African countries and is driven by common security challenges and shared maritime vision. The AIKEYME exercise also enhances India’s position as a reliable partner in the Western Indian Ocean region.

The term “AIKEYME,” is derived from Sanskrit word ‘Aikyam” and signifies togetherness and unity. AIKEYME six-day naval exercise involved India and ten Indian Ocean littoral countries from Africa including, Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, South Africa, Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Djibouti and Eritrea. This exercise was planned in two phases- harbour and sea. In the harbour phase, the focus was on training and table top exercises to deal with piracy. The sea phase involved search and rescue missions, helicopter operations, amongst other things. The main objective of AIKEYME exercise was to enhance the interoperability to deal with the common challenges in the maritime sphere.

Common Maritime Challenges

India and African countries are connected by the waters of Indian Ocean. For both geographies, marine resources are a significant asset. Out of Africa’s 54 countries, 34 are coastal. Together they have a 48,000-kilometre-long coastline and 13 million square kilometres of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).^[2] Similarly, nine of India’s 28 states (provinces) and two of India’s nine Union territories, are coastal. India has a coastline of 11,098 kilometres and an EEZ of 2.4 million square kilometres. ^[3] Across the Indian Ocean, India and African countries share a growing number of maritime security challenges.

Piracy and maritime terrorism are the foremost challenges. From 2008-2012, the Somalia based pirates were extremely active along the coast of Somalia, the Gulf of Aden and a large part of the Indian Ocean region including India. The fear of blockage of strategic choke points like Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb and Mozambique Channel by pirates added to the insecurity in the region. Multinational efforts have brought the level of these attacks down considerably in the last decade. However, in the last year and a half, piracy in the Indian Ocean Region has revived.

Along with piracy, attacks by Yemen based Houthi insurgents have made secure and safe passage of merchant vessels in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden virtually impossible. Bab-el-Mandeb Strait is the strategic chokepoint that links Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. This narrow strait connects Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal. It is a crucial route for all maritime trade from East Africa and Asia to Europe. Since November 2023, the Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships, captured one and sunk two vessels in the region. ^[4] These acts of maritime terrorism have added to the troubles faced by global shipping through sky rocketing freight and maritime insurance rates due to re- routing of commercial vessels. The insecurity in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait has compelled the commercial ships to move away from Suez Canal and take the longer route via Cape of Good Hope around Southern Africa to reach Europe. As a result, several East African countries, whose foreign trade is highly dependent on the Suez Canal have been subject to the disruptions. It has also resulted in shortage of perishable goods in these countries, due to longer cargo delivery times, impacting avocado, tea and coffee supply chains.^[5] This re-routing has also led to similar delays and disruptions in India’s trade with Europe.

The growth in Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is another common maritime challenge faced by India and African countries. Marine fisheries are an important source of livelihood and food security for people in coastal regions of India and most of Africa’s Indian Ocean littoral countries. Unfortunately, the Western Indian Ocean region is also ridden with one of the world’s highest levels of IUU fishing. Globally, the IUU generates an annual economic loss of $ 26- $50 billion.^[6] According to a World Wildlife Fund report, five countries in the South West Indian Ocean Region, i.e., Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique and Tanzania suffer a loss of US $ 142.8 million income annually due to IUU fishing. ^[7]

The rise of drug trafficking in the Indian Ocean region is of equal concern to India and African countries. The vast expanse of the Indian Ocean has become a conduit for transfer of narcotics from Afghanistan and Pakistan to the shores of Africa, Europe and beyond. ^[8] Eastern and Southern Africa has become a major transit region in the global network of narcotics trafficking. Significant quantities of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine transit through the region annually. Tanzania and the central coastal region of Mozambique are the main transit point for heroin and methamphetamine from Afghanistan/ Pakistan. Similarly, South Africa and Kenya have increasingly become hubs for transit of cocaine from Latin America, and South Africa for methamphetamine from Mexico and Nigeria. Most of these narcotics are transhipped to European markets. The AIKEYME exercise aimed to strengthen capacities of the African navies to deal with these common challenges and enhance interoperability.

AIKEYME: Strengthening India- Africa Maritime Cooperation

The AIKEYME initiative is in consonance with India’s maritime vision of Security and Growth for All (SAGAR) that calls for collective security and growth across the Indian Ocean region announced by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015. After a decade the SAGAR vision has matured to Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security Across the Regions (MAHASAGAR). This MAHASAGAR vision, announced by Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Mauritius in March 2025 extends India’s cooperative model across all regions and oceans particularly in the Global South. The AIKEYME initiative also reflects African states urgency and call for collaborative policy to harness Africa’s immense marine wealth and numerous security challenges as proposed in the 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy evolved by the African Union. ^[9]

The AIKEYME exercise builds on the existing cooperation in the maritime sphere. For decades India and several African countries have been collaborating towards enhancing mutual maritime security. Indian naval ships periodically visit ports in various African countries. African countries, like Kenya and South Africa and others regularly participate in the MILAN series of naval exercises hosted by India. In 2022, the first ever India -Mozambique- Tanzania trilateral naval exercise took place in Dar es Salaam. This exercise aimed to enhance the capacities of the African navies. In another collaborative initiative, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged-off Indian Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel, INS Sunayna, as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR on 5 April 2025. This ship has personnel from nine foreign countries including seven from Africa (Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles & Tanzania). ^[10] The launch of IOS SAGAR, is a unique effort undertaken by Indian Navy to provide comprehensive training to naval personnel from African and other Indian Ocean region countries and thereby enhance mutual maritime security.

At the same time, India has deployed the Indian Navy to support African efforts for countering piracy for a long time. In 2008, India launched anti- piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden. This was primarily in response to the spread of Somali piracy to the west coast of India threatening the country’s maritime trade, particularly, energy trade. India has also deployed the Indian Navy for surveillance and joint patrol duties in Mozambique, Mauritius and Seychelles. Additionally Indian Navy has provided coastal surveillance radars to key African countries —including Seychelles and Mauritius. The Indian Navy has also been involved in Africa to provide Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR). In the past, it has been the first responder to cyclones that struck Mozambique and Madagascar. The Indian Navy has also been in the forefront to provide medicines and food grains for humanitarian relief to flood hit countries like Kenya and drought-stricken Malawi, Madagascar and Namibia. During COVID 19 pandemic, Indian Navy took the lead in providing relief to a large number of Indian Ocean littoral countries in Africa.

India’s maritime initiative comes at a time when Africa’s relations with its external partners are in a flux. First, there is a geopolitical shift visible in certain parts of the continent, particularly the Sahel. Key countries like Niger, Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso have increasingly distanced themselves from traditional partners like France and United States and shifted towards Russia and China for military cooperation. ^[11] The shift stems primarily from the inability of France, US and other Western countries to curtail the instability and economic hardship in the region. Another significant development is the return of Mauritian sovereignty over Chagos archipelago including Diego Garcia. The US and UK have jointly operated the Diego Garcia military base. However, as per the agreement between UK and Mauritius government signed in October 2024, the military base will continue in Diego Garcia. ^[12] The important fact is that the African Union has fully supported Mauritius on the issue. This development shows the African agency and solidarity in removing the last vestiges of British colonial rule over Mauritius.

Moreover, US President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ policy, the cessation of US development assistance and imposition of reciprocal tariffs has sent shock waves across the African continent. ^[13] This coupled with European countries focus on their own security, in face of Russia- Ukraine conflict, scaling down of European official development assistance to Africa has left the African countries searching for alternate partners. ^[14] There is no doubt that China and Russia have enhanced their economic and security engagement. Russia’s involvement in Africa is gaining ground and it is the largest arms supplier to Africa. The Wagner group, a Russian private security company renamed as Africa corps after the death of its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, is present in a number of African countries. ^[15] China in turn has become an important small arms supplier to African countries, deploys its forces for United Nations Peacekeeping Operations on the continent and conducts joint exercises and meetings periodically. While other external partners like the United Arab Emirates, Japan, South Korea, Turkiye are expanding their presence in the region. The time is ripe for India to prioritise cooperation with African countries.

The AIKEYME provides an opportunity to India towards showcasing its security partnership with African countries that is driven by mutual interests and priorities. This engagement adds to India’s consistent support to African countries in dealing with maritime challenges like piracy, IUU, humanitarian crisis and natural disasters. Through this maritime engagement India is projecting itself as a reliable partner for the African countries. New Delhi should carefully nurture this partnership with its maritime neighbours across the Indian Ocean and ensure that this momentum in India- Africa maritime cooperation continues in future.

References

^[1] Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (Aikeyme) 2025 Inauguration, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, 13 April 2025 at https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=2121521&reg=3&lang=1 (Accessed 15 April 2025)
^[2] European Parliamentary Research Service, The African Union's blue strategy, March 2019 at
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2019/635574/EPRS_ATA(2019)635574_EN.pdf (Accessed 15 April 2025)
^[3] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/mha-indias-recalculated-coastline-up-48-in-53-years/articleshow/116927468.cms (Accessed 15 April 2025)
^[4] Reuters, ‘Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea” 17 January 2025 at
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/houthi-attacks-merchant-ships-red-sea-2025-01-16/ (Accessed 15 April 2025)
^[5]United Nations Trade and Development, ‘Africa: Stronger maritime industry drives resilient, sustainable trade’ 22 October 2024 at https://unctad.org/news/africa-stronger-maritime-industry-drives-resilient-sustainable-trade# (Accessed 15 April 2025)
^[6] Impact of IUU fishing in India, Government of India, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy, Department of Fisheries, Rajya Sabha, Unstarred Question No. 1534, To be answered on 29th July, 2022. https://sansad.in/getFile/annex/257/AU1534.pdf?source=pqars (Accessed 15 April 2025)
^[7] World Wildlife Fund, ‘US$142.8 million potentially lost each year to illicit fishing in the South West Indian Ocean’ 4 May 2023 at https://www.wwf.eu/?10270441/US1428-million-potentially-lost-each-year-to-illicit-fishing-in-the-South-West-Indian-Ocean (Accessed 15 April 2025)
^[8] Sajikumar, B, ‘Drug trafficking in the Indian Ocean Region: A growing coastal security challenge’ International Journal Of Current Advanced Research 13(8) August 2024, at https://www.journalijcar.org/sites/default/files/issue-files/14492.pdf (Accessed 15 April 2025)
^[9] African Union, 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy (2050 Aim Strategy) 2012 at
https://au.int/sites/default/files/documents/30929-doc-2050_aim_strategy_eng_0.pdf (Accessed 15 April 2025)
^[10] Raksha Mantri flags-off INS Sunayna as Indian Ocean Ship SAGAR from Karwar with 44 personnel of nine friendly nations of Indian Ocean Region. Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, 5 April 2025 at https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2119246 (Accessed 15 April 2025)
^[11] Christiano Volpi, ‘The Sahel Region: Geopolitical Shifts and Security Challenges’ 22 May 2024 at
https://africa24.it/en/2024/05/22/the-sahel-region-geopolitical-shifts-and-security-challenges/ (Accessed 15 April 2025)
^[12] Dinaker Peri, ‘U.K. to restore sovereignty of Chagos islands to Mauritius’ The Hindu 4 October 2024 at https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/uk-hands-over-sovereignty-of-chagos-islands-to-mauritius-in-deal-to-secure-us-base/article68713404.ece (Accessed 15 April 2025)
^[13] Anne Soy, Trump's tariffs could be death knell for US-Africa trade pact BBC World 5 April 2025, at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqx4w1yj1vdo (Accessed 15 April 2025)
^[14] Mimi Alemayehou and David McNair, ‘False economy: Why Europeans should stop slashing development aid to Africa’ European Council on Foreign Relations, 28 February 2024 at https://ecfr.eu/article/false-economy-why-europeans-should-stop-slashing-development-aid-to-africa/# (Accessed 15 April 2025)
^[15] Frédéric Bobin and Morgane Le Cam,'Africa Corps': Russia's West African presence rebranded’ Le Monde 17 April 2025 at https://www.lemonde.fr/en/le-monde-africa/article/2023/12/17/africa-corps-russia-s-sahel-presence-rebranded_6352317_124.html (Accessed 17 April 2025)

(The paper is the author’s individual scholastic articulation. The author certifies that the article/paper is original in content, unpublished and it has not been submitted for publication/web upload elsewhere, and that the facts and figures quoted are duly referenced, as needed, and are believed to be correct). (The paper does not necessarily represent the organisational stance... More >>