President’s Visit Rekindles Ties with Africa

In a welcome continuation of India's attention to Africa, President Droupadi Murmu, made a cross-continental visit to three African countries between 13-19 October.

She visited old friend Algeria, largely ignored Mauritania and the ‘warm heart of Africa’, Malawi. President Murmu, covered North, West and Southern regions of Africa on one trip. If anything, her delegation would have realised how big the African continent is, though it is often spoken of as just Africa.

The three countries visited have a common link through the India Africa Forum Summits (IAFS). Mauritania is the current chair of the African Union, and should be helpful in ensuring that IAFS IV takes place sooner rather than later. Malawi was the chair of the African Union in 2010, and participated in the IAFS II in Addis Ababa, 2011. Algeria, as part of the five permanent invitees to the IAFS, is the most consistent participant, but has never attended at a high level, always sending either ministers or special envoys. ^[1]

The President's first visit was to Algeria. India has had diplomatic relations with Africa's largest country by size since its independence from France in 1962. In the heyday of the nonaligned movement, India and Algeria had frequent interaction, including exchanges of visits by heads of state and Indian Prime Ministers. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, was Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebration, 2001.

Over the years, this relationship became dormant with no spark in it. Algeria's continuous battle with Morocco over Polisario is part of the reason. Even when India recognised the Polisario, leading to Morocco's exit from India, the relationship with Algeria never boomed. Therefore, when Morocco returned to diplomatic relations with India, it has far more to do with India even now than Algeria does. There was a reticence in Algeria from reaching out, and it is a good sign that the President has visited to rekindle an old relationship and make it a partnership. ^[2]

Trade with Algeria is barely $2 billion and aspires to touch the pre-pandemic level of $3 billion. It mainly consists of imports of petroleum and natural resources from Algeria. Exports are mainly of pharmaceuticals, rice, buffalo meat and engineering products, among others. These are likely to expand after the visit. ^[3]

Algerian financial problems have prevented it from playing a bigger international role, but it has a new development outlook and 9000 projects underway in which Indian companies have a share, leading to the presence of Indian expatriates. ^[4]

Algeria was never keen on obtaining Indian assistance or participating in development programmes, though, like Malawi it is a signatory to the International Solar Alliance. Projects offered to it under the rubric of the IAFS programme, have not interested Algeria. ^[5] However, the agreement on space cooperation between ISRO and the Algerian Space Agency has seen capacity building and launching of Algerian satellites by India in 2016. This cooperation could be intensified.

For a big country like Algeria, the relationship is subpar and needed the impetus of the President's visit to revitalise it. It was important that this is being the first ever visit by an Indian President to Algeria, it is within a month of the Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune starting his second term.

India has recently strengthened its embassy in Algiers by appointing a defence advisor, and Algeria has done it in India too; this could be an area for greater progress ahead along with economic interaction.

Mauritania is a country with which barely any activity was undertaken. Fortunately, an Indian Embassy has been opened in Mauritania in June 2021 as part of India's expanded diplomatic footprint in Africa. Mauritania originally was a member of the ECOWAS and saw itself as a West African country, but subsequently, during the Gaddafi period, it identified itself more with the Arab world and joined Arab Maghreb Union and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CENSAD).

Since Mauritania is the African Union president for this year, it has attained more importance. The battle for the post was between Algeria and Morocco on behalf of North Africa, but since they cancelled each other out, Mauritania won as a consensus candidate.

Secretary (ER) MEA, visited Nouakchott in March 2024 which was the highest-level visit by India to Mauritania since its independence in 1960. Diplomatic activity has picked up, including holding the Foreign Office consultations and having Mauritania regularly participate in the virtual Voice of Global South Summits hosted by India. It was significant that the defence minister of Mauritania participated in the India Africa Defence Dialogue and the Defence Expo in October 2022, in Gandhinagar and met Raksha Mantri. The Mauritanian President had participated in the IAFS III in October 2015 in New Delhi.

Mauritania has obtained lines of credit of about $22 million for agro industries and drinking water projects. It has a few ITEC and scholarships offered by India, but these are rarely used due to language barriers. It is important that, now that there is a new embassy in Mauritania, more developmental engagement emerges, and the onsite e-ITEC programmes in French or Arabic could be undertaken virtually. Mauritania had participated in the Pan African E Network project between 2009 and 2019 and is used to that format. After IAFS I Mauritania was awarded to host the Pan African Food Processing Cluster but despite a Detailed Project Report could never move ahead on it. ^[6]

Mauritania is of interest to India because it has much mining and mineral reserves. Besides iron, copper, gold and phosphates, chromium, manganese, lithium, uranium, rare earths and the like are also available, but need exploration. Indian and third country companies could together look at these opportunities, because Mauritania now emphasises private sector development in this resource rich country. A MOU on phosphates mining was signed during the visit.

India's trade with Mauritania, much like its engagement is low and total trade is about $115 million, most of which is Indian exports of cereals, pharmaceuticals, plastics and machinery. There is a small Indian community there, and the President's visit raised the profile of India in Mauritania soon after opening of a resident mission.

Mauritania is among the more stable countries in the Sahel region, which is otherwise known as the epicentre of international terrorism, with immense activity from the Islamic State and the Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).

Malawi, known as the ‘warm heart of Africa’, has been one of the less neglected parts of Africa. A small country, it has had regular engagements with India. New Delhi had a mission there since its independence in 1964; in 1993 due to the reshuffle of priorities, at the end of the Cold War, the mission in Malawi was shut down. However, after the Vice President’s visit in 2010 a decision to reopen the mission was reached.

Vice President Ansari visited Malawi in January, 2010 and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in November, 2018. President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi, visited India in November 2010 when India had a system of inviting the annual Chair of the African Union to India. He came in that capacity. This made him very helpful to India at the IAFS II. He prided himself as a product of Delhi University, which awarded him an honorary doctorate. The Malawi Vice President had subsequently visited India in March, 2018.

Minister of State for External Affairs visited Malawi in June, 2022, and therefore compared to Algeria or Mauritania, the warmth of engagement with Malawi is more. This is also because there are many more investments and active trade with Malawi, which has a larger Indian population of close to 9000 people. Malawi has received more lines of credit, more scholarships and more grants than Mauritania or Algeria was interested in.

In Malawi, a Line of Credit (LOC) of nearly $400 million led to development projects including sugar factories, fuel storage facilities, cotton ginneries and processing plants for dal which India buys back under the DFTP scheme. A further LOC of about $ 200 million supported drinking water supply schemes. India has supported Malawi with grants in terms of science and technology equipment, medical equipment, like the Bhabatron, which the President inaugurated, agricultural equipment, essential medicines and support for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, particularly when Malawi is hit by natural disasters. Rice has been provided in response to requests of aid. 50,000 doses of covid vaccine were also delivered to Malawi.

In Malawi, India, under the ‘India for Humanity Initiative’ launched an artificial limbs fitment camp in Lilongwe. This is now expanded and made permanent during the visit. The Bhabhatron cancer facility was now inaugurated too.

Malawi has been most forthcoming to participate in programmes under the IAFS rubric. It is part of the Cotton Technical Assistance Programme and received trainings for its people in the textile sector. Similarly, the Business Incubation Centre established by India provides short term training in agriculture commodity processing, polishing and cutting of semiprecious stones, composting and the like. Malawi was awarded the Pan Africa Institute for Rural Development but it could not get enough support locally from Southern African Development Community (SADC) or the African Union (AU) to lead it to fruition. Malawi was among the early countries who signed the International Solar Alliance (ISA) agreement, and has received a grant of $50,000 to solarise, the parliament building.

India Malawi trade is about $250 million, and Indian investors have reportedly FDI of $500 million. More efforts towards cooperation in development of mineral resources are underway, as well as in power generation. ^[7]

Since the engagement with Malawi is deeper it also has more issues. The pace of implementation of projects was a concern. Malawi’s debt stress leads it to seek rescheduling repayment of its LOCs which is underway. That halts the process for further LOCS. ^[8] Perhaps India will work out another way to finance more private sector engagements with African countries.

The President’s visit drew admiration from her hosts who specially received her at high levels upon arrival. In Algeria she received an honorary doctorate. She addressed business and diaspora meetings in all the three countries. Her achievement was that she manifested a dignified, benign Indian partnership in these countries and offered ways to revitalise the partnerships. For that a new model beyond LOCs and grants and having more support to the private sector will be required.

References

^[1] India-Algeria Relations, Embassy of India
Algiers, 6 August 2024, https://www.indianembassyalgiers.gov.in/page/india-algeria-relations/ [3]
^[2] Transcript of Special Briefing by Secretary (CPV & OIA) on President’s Visit to Algeria, MEA 16 October 2024, https://www.mea.gov.in/media-briefings.htm?dtl/38430/Transcript_of_Special_Briefing_by_Secretary_CPV__OIA_on_Presidents_Visit_to_Algeria_October_15_2024 [4]
^[3] President's address at the India-Algeria Economic Forum
MEA, 14 October 2024. https://www.mea.gov.in/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl/38421/Presidents_address_at_the_IndiaAlgeria_Economic_Forum [5]
^[4] Algeria’s Ambitious Path for Development, World Bank, 22 July 2024 https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2024/07/22/algeria-s-ambitious-path-for-development [6]
^[5] See Gurjit Singh, The Harambee Factor Macmillan education 2022.p 150-160
^[6] See Gurjit Singh, The Harambee Factor Macmillan education 2022.p 150-160
^[7] Address by the President at India-Malawi Business meet. MEA 19 October 2024, https://www.mea.gov.in/Speeches-Statements.htm?dtl/38437/Address_by_the_President_at_IndiaMalawi_Business_meet_October_17_2024 [7]
^[8] Transcript of Special Briefing by Secretary (CPV & OIA) on President’s Visit to Malawi, MEA, 18 October 2024, https://www.mea.gov.in/media-briefings.htm?dtl/38439/Transcript_of_Special_Briefing_by_Secretary_CPV__OIA_on_Presidents_Visit_to_Malawi_October_18_2024 [8]

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