India- Africa Defence Engagement: Towards New Avenues

India and African countries have long standing ties in the defence realm. Traditionally, training and capacity building, deployment of Indian troops for United Nations Peacekeeping (UNPK) missions have been the main pillars of the India Africa defence engagement. Certain new initiatives launched by India in the last decade indicate a thrust towards enhancing defence engagement with African countries. The new areas of focus are maritime cooperation and supply of defence equipment.

India’s defence engagement in Africa is driven by several factors. One of the important reasons is the high priority given to expanding relations with African countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated that Africa is a ‘top priority’ for the country’s foreign policy. Energy security is another important factor. Africa produces around 8 percent of the global crude oil and 6 percent of global natural gas production. ^[1] An energy deficit country and world’s third largest energy consumer, India is a dependent on oil imports to meet its domestic demand. At present, India imports 80 percent of its crude oil requirements. ^[2] Around 15 percent of India’s total oil imports are sourced from Africa. ^[3] Nigeria, Angola, Angeria, Egypt and Equatorial Guinea are the main suppliers from the region. Further, Africa accounts for the 30 percent of global reserves of critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium and graphite needed for development of low carbon and renewable energy. ^[4] Common security challenges, like the rise of terrorism and maritime insecurity are also significant imperatives for India’s defence engagement with the region. Some of India’s leading economic partners like Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya and Mozambique have faced a rising tide of terrorism. Similarly, the resurgence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden is a common concern for India and the other countries in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region.

Balancing the increasing footprint of China in Africa may be another factor pushing New Delhi to enhance defence ties with African countries. In the last two decades, China has made deep inroads towards fostering economic and defence ties with the African countries. In the defence sphere, the Chinese Navy has been present in the WIO region since the deployment for anti-piracy patrols in 2008. China started deploying peacekeepers for UN Peacekeeping missions from 2011. The establishment of China’s first naval base in Djibouti in 2017 alarmed New Delhi further. China is trying hard to set up another base in Mozambique. ^[5] China also launched a structured engagement with African militaries with the launch of China Africa Security Forum in 2018. The Indian officials are watching closely the increasing presence of Chinese navy in Africa particularly in the Indian Ocean littorals. At a meeting last year, India’s Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar expressed concern over ‘steady increase in China’s naval presence’ in the Indian Ocean region. ^[6] A region that includes the eastern coastline of the African continent. India has historically considered itself as the resident power of the Indian Ocean region.

The presence of three million strong Indian community in Africa is an important reason to enhance defence ties with the region. In the recent past, at the onset of conflict in African countries, particularly in Sudan and Niger, Indian Navy and Airforce was deployed to ferry Indian nationals out of the region to safety. Safety and security of Indian community abroad is emerging as an important priority for Indian government. Finally, the geopolitical shift in the Sahel region of Africa, reflected in exit of traditional military allies like France and United States from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso provide a unique opportunity for India to expand military ties with this region. These countries have turned towards Russia and China to resolve their debilitating security and development challenges. This state of flux offers India a chance to utilise the good will for India in the region by expanding it defence ties for mutual advantage.

Traditional Areas of Defence Engagement

Traditionally, the focus of India’s defence engagement with African countries has been on training and human resource development. This training is provided through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme established in 1964. The ITEC offers courses in defence training that cover diverse spheres like defence management, strategic studies, logistics, marine and aeronautical engineering. ^[7] India has trained several military officers from African countries at the premier military training institutions in India. These include Defence Services Staff College, Army War College and National Defence College. India has also deployed military training teams to African countries. These teams have been deployed in countries like Namibia, Tanzania, Lesotho, Botswana and Uganda. India has provided assistance in setting up defence training institutions in several African countries. They include Harar Military Academy, Ethiopia, Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Command and Staff College, Nigeria and Command and Staff College, Tanzania. At the India - Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) held in October 2022, India proposed to enhance defence training with African countries in mutually agreed areas. ^[8]

Apart from training, India has supported African countries in defence sphere through regular troop contribution to the UN Peacekeeping Mission on the continent. India is the foremost Troop Contributing Country (TCC) for UN Peacekeeping Missions in Africa. It has deployed troops for from the first UNPK Mission in Africa in Congo in 1960. At present, India has deployed around 4362 uniformed personnel for peacekeeping missions in South Sudan, Abyei, Democratic Republic of Congo, Centra African Republic, Western Sahara and Somalia. ^[9] India’s peacekeeping contribution in Africa is guided by the core principles of UN Peacekeeping. ^[10] It has taken care to be involved in peacekeeping activities only after obtaining consent from the conflicting parties and under the umbrella of the United Nations.

In recent years India has focussed on providing training to African countries on UN Peacekeeping. The Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK), New Delhi has been involved in providing pre deployment and gender sensitivity training to personnel from African countries. ^[11] In 2019, India launched the first Africa India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX-19). The major objective of this exercise is to enhance coordination in UN Peacekeeping operations and humanitarian mine clearance activities. Military groups from 17 African countries participated in the exercise. In 2023, during the second edition of this military exercise, a total of 25 countries from African region participated along with Indian troops. ^[12]

New Avenues of Defence Engagement

In recent years, India has taken several steps to enhance defence engagement with African countries. In 2018, it was announced that India has expanded defence cooperation with all Indian Ocean Rim littoral countries in Africa. ^[13] One of the major hurdles in expanding defence cooperation with Africa is small number defence wings in India’s diplomatic missions in Africa. Until recently, India had defence wings in only five diplomatic missions in Africa- Kenya, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria and Sudan. In a recent move, Indian government has approved deployment of new defence wings in Indian missions in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Mozambique and Algeria. ^[14]

There has also been an attempt to engage with the African countries in a structured dialogue. India hosted the first India Africa Defence Ministers Conclave at Lucknow in 2020 on the sidelines of the DefExpo2020. This structured dialogue was renamed as ‘India Africa Defence Dialogue’ (IADD) during the Defence Expo 2022, held at Gandhinagar. More than 50 countries participated in the IADD. ^[15] Given the common security challenges, this dialogue aimed at enhancing collaboration between the two geographies. Another new format of discussion with African countries was introduced with the launch of first India-Africa Army Chiefs’ Conclave in 2023. The theme of this meeting was “Africa-India Militaries for Regional Unity – AMRUT’. The main objective of this conclave was to enhance synergies between the armed forces of India and Africa.

In the last two decades, due to the rise in sea-based security challenges, maritime cooperation has emerged as an important area of engagement between India and African countries. Since 2008, Indian Navy has been deployed to deal with the rise of piracy off Somalia in the Gulf of Aden and the Western Indian Ocean region at large. In 2020, India joined the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC) and its Jeddah Amendment as an observer. This Code was launched in 2009, to deal with piracy in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. ^[16] It provides a framework for cooperation in capacity building to supress the threat of piracy in the region. In 2017, at the meeting held in Jeddah, the Code was amended to include other maritime challenges, such as, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, human trafficking maritime terrorism and other illicit maritime within its purview. ^[17] India is also concerned with the steady rise of piracy in Gulf of Guinea in West Africa. The fact that it has considerable trade links in the West African region, with Nigeria being its largest trading partner, safety and security of Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOC) is a priority. India has extended its support to the Yaoundé architecture set up by the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2013 to check the rise of illicit activities in the Gulf of Guinea region. ^[18]

In recent years, Indian Navy has increased its port visits to African countries, bilateral and multilateral naval exercises with African countries. ^[19] An important development is the launch of the first India-Mozambique Tanzania Trilateral Exercise (IMT- TRILAT) in Dar es Salaam in October 2022. This exercise aims towards addressing common threats and enhance interoperability. ^[20] At the same time, Indian Navy taken a lead in providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) in the Western Indian Ocean Region. Whether it is floods in Madagascar or a cyclone in Mozambique, Indian Navy has been the first responder to provide disaster relief to Indian Ocean littoral countries in Africa.

India has also enhanced trilateral maritime cooperation with major powers present in the Western Indian Ocean region. In the last few years, Indian Navy has participated in Exercise Cutlass Express sponsored by the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) off East African coast. ^[21] Indian Navy has also been involved with French Navy in joint surveillance and ocean mapping of the waters along with Mauritius and Mozambique Channel. ^[22]

Another important area of India-Defence engagement is the push for export of Indian defence equipment to continent. During the IADD held in Gandhinagar, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh invited African countries to ‘explore Indian defence equipment and technologies.’ ^[23] In the last decade, India has supplied patrol vessels and interceptor boats to Mauritius, Seychelles and Mozambique. However, Russia is the largest exporter of arms to Africa, followed by China and European countries. The Ukraine conflict and resultant supply chain glitches have highlighted the importance of diversifying sources of weapons imports to African countries. At present, only 10 percent of India’s defence exports are directed towards Africa. ^[24] The interest displayed by African countries in India’s defence equipment during the last DefExpo and IADD indicates that this may change in future. The recent agreement signed by India’s defence company, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for maintenance of Sukhoi 30 fighter aircrafts reflects this change. ^[25]

Way Forward

Time is ripe for expanding defence cooperation with African countries. India needs to adopt a multi-pronged policy to achieve success in this sphere. First, it needs to connect with ITEC defence alumni in Africa. They may be perceived as brand ambassadors for India in their respective countries. Second, India should develop a roadmap for defence cooperation with Africa. The priority should be to understand the defence requirement of each country in the region. Third, India may utilize its UN peacekeeping missions to showcase India’s defence technology. Fourth, looking at the financial crunch faced by the large number of African countries, India may consider developing a new financial mechanism to offer low-cost credit for arms transfers. Finally, India may offer Africa a defence partnership that is based on the principles of equality and mutual respect, a distinctive feature of India’s development partnership with the region. Hopefully, this strategy will open greater pathways for India- Africa defence engagement.

References

^[1] “Africa crude oil production” at https://www.iea.org/regions/africa/oil; [3] “Africa natural gas production” at https://www.iea.org/regions/africa/natural-gas [4]
^[2] “Africa can play central role in India’s oil diversification: Dharmendra Pradhan” 25 March 2021 Economic Times at https://www.livemint.com/news/india/africa-can-play-central-role-in-india-s-oil-diversification-dharmendra-pradhan-11616636840076.html [5]
^[3] Ibid
^[4] Ben Chandler, Africa’s Critical Minerals, Mo Ibrahim Foundation, 2022 at https://mo.ibrahim.foundation/sites/default/files/2022-11/minerals-resource-governance.pdf [6]
^[5] “China Seeks Strategic Naval Bases in Africa to Project Power” Businessworld 10 February 2023 at https://businessworld.in/article/china-seeks-strategic-naval-bases-in-africa-to-project-power-465212 [7]
^[6] ‘EAM Jaishankar raises concern over "steady increase in Chinese naval presence" in Indian Ocean’ Economic Times, 27 September 2023 at https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/eam-jaishankar-raises-concern-over-steady-increase-in-chinese-naval-presence-in-india [8]
^[7] Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme at https://www.itecgoi.in/about [9]
^[8] Press Information Bureau, Government of India, “India Africa Defence Dialogue held on the sidelines of Defence Expo22 in Gandhi Nagar Gujrat; paves way for strengthening India- Africa defence relations” at https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1868820 [10]
^[9] United Nations Peacekeeping. ‘Contribution of Uniformed Personnel by Country, Mission and Personnel Type” as 30 June 2024 at https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/03_country_and_mission_75_june_2024.pdf [11]
^[10] Ruchita Beri, “India’s role in keeping peace in Africa” Strategic Analysis 2008 at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09700160801994852 [12]
^[11] Ruchita Beri, ‘India and UN Peacekeeping in Africa: An Assessment’ Journal of Defence Studies July – September 2022 at https://www.idsa.in/jds-16-3-2022-India-and-UN-Peacekeeping-in-Africa [13]
^[12] ‘India- Africa joint military exercise ‘AFINDEX-23’ concluded at foreign training node, Aundh, Pune’ 29 March 2023 at https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1911766 [14]
^[13] Keynote Address by Secretary (ER) Shri T S Tirumurti at the 4th India-Africa Strategic Dialogue on the theme "India and Africa: Deepening the Security Engagement" 27 March 2018 at https://www.idsa.in/keyspeeches/t-s-tirumurti-india-and-africa-deepening-security-engagement [15]
^[14] Kallol Bhattacherjee, ‘India to send new Defence Attachés in multiple missions in Africa’ The Hindu 11 April 2024 at https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-to-send-new-defence-attach%C3%A9s-in-multiple-missions-in-africa/article68051464.ece [16]
^[15] Press Information Bureau, Government of India, n.8
^[16] Huma Siddiqui, “India expands maritime security foot print in IOR” Financial Express 23 September 2020 at
https://www.financialexpress.com/business/defence-india-expands-maritime-security-footprint-in-ior-joins-djibouti-code-of-conduct-jeddah-amendment-as-an-observer-2090032/lite/ [17]
^[17] Huma Siddiqui, “India expands maritime security foot print in IOR” Financial Express 23 September 2020 at
https://www.financialexpress.com/business/defence-india-expands-maritime-security-footprint-in-ior-joins-djibouti-code-of-conduct-jeddah-amendment-as-an-observer-2090032/lite/ [17]
^[18] “Gulf Of Guinea: EU and India Carry Out Maiden Joint Naval Exercise” PIB, Government of India 26 October 2023 at https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1971391 [18]
^[19] Ateet Sharma, “India sharpens focus on East Africa with new round of naval exercises” at https://www.indianarrative.com/opinion-news/india-sharpens-focus-on-east-africa-with-new-round-of-naval-exercises-66022.html/amp [19]
^[20] Press Information Bureau, “Indian Navy participates In maiden Trilateral Exercise with Mozambique and Tanzania,” 29 October 2022 at https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1871827# [20]
^[21] Ministry of Defence, Government of India, “First Training Squadron participates In Cutlass Express 24” Press Information Bureau 10 March 2024 at https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2013170 [21] (Accessed 22 March 2024)
^[22] Shishir Gupta, “India and France to conduct joint surveillance of South-West Indian Ocean” Hindustan Times 8 November 2022 at https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-and-france-to-conduct-joint-surveillance-of-south-west-indian-ocean-101667905908997.html [22]
^[23] Press Information Bureau, Government of India, n.8
^[24] Manu Pubby, “India trying to export weapons to African Nations” Economic Times 12 April 2023
at https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/india-trying-to-export-weapons-to-african-nations/articleshow/99070935.cms?from=mdr [23]
^[25] Patrick Kenyette, ‘India to repair Uganda’s Sukhoi Su-30MK fighter jets’ 24 March 2022 at https://www.military.africa/2022/03/india-to-repair-ugandas-sukhoi-su-30mk-fighter-jets/ [24]

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