India’s participation in the G-20 provides a unique opportunity to foster an African Renaissance. As a member of this influential international forum, India can play a pivotal role in shaping global policies and investments that can benefit African nations. By championing initiatives focused on sustainable development, infrastructure, and technology transfer, India can contribute to the economic growth and social development of African countries. This not only aligns with India’s vision of South-South cooperation but also promotes a more equitable and prosperous global order. India’s involvement in the G-20 offers a platform to strengthen ties with African nations and collaborate on strategies that can uplift the entire continent, ultimately fostering an African Renaissance that benefits all.
Tag: GS Paper – 2: Groupings & Agreements Involving India and/or Affecting India’s Interests; Effect of Policies & Politics of Countries on India’s Interests.
Exam View:
Representation of Africa; Challenges and disruptors for Africa; India’s robust ties; India’s G20 opportunity.
Context:
Africa is flagging its demands nowadays on multilateral fora such as BRICS, the G-20 and the United Nations General Assembly. India is well placed to leverage its comprehensive profile with Africa to help the continent either bilaterally or through multilateral forums.
Decoding the editorial: Representation of Africa
- For a continent with 54 countries, over a quarter of the “Global South”, Africa is populated at BRICS and the G-20 by South Africa, an atypical representative of the Black continent.
- The 15th BRICS summit took place in South Africa on August 23-24 with the theme “BRICS and Africa”.
- It would be followed up early in September in the 18th G-20 Summit hosted by India where several issues of the “global south” with Africa as a focus would come up.
Challenges and disruptors for Africa
Africa, in general, and the Sahel region in particular, are passing through several existential challenges that have strained the traditional socio-political fabric.
- Traditional:
- Mis-governance,
- Unplanned development,
- The dominance of ruling tribes,
- Bonapartism, and
- Corruption.
- New disruptors:
- Islamic terror,
- Changing climate,
- Inter-tribal scrimmage,
- Runaway food inflation,
- Urbanisation, and
- Youth unemployment.
- Dictatorship:
- Past military interventions by France, the United States and Russia’s Wagner Group to curb the militancy have shown that they frequently become part of the problem.
- These interventions have costs of keeping dictatorships in power to protect their economic interests, such as uranium in Niger, gold in the Central African Republic and oil in Libya.
- Due to the socio-political disorders, the past decade has seen the generals coming back in Egypt, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
- The reasons for the return of generals are complex and often specific to the national situation.
- Their earlier regional and continental prescription of delegitimization and containment of the putschists is becoming increasingly less effective as such regimes have proliferated.
- When the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) recently threatened to act militarily against Niger’s junta, two member-States, Mali and Burkina Faso, both run by military governments, opposed the idea.
- Eroding international support
- China has been Africa’s largest trading partner and investor, but a slowing economy and trade have reduced its appetite for Africa’s commodities.
- Its Belt and Roads Initiative has raised the debts of some African countries to unsustainable levels, in turn causing them to cede control of some of their assets to China.
- Russia previously promoted the Wagner Group in Africa as a shortcut for security, but after the militia’s mutiny against the Kremlin, the situation is unclear.
- Russia, which is under western economic sanctions, hosted an African summit in July that saw tepid participation.
- France, the United Kingdom and other colonial powers as well as the United States have continued to exploit mineral wealth in Africa, but their economic downturn has limited their outreach.
- Europe’s main concern is limited to stopping illegal migration from African shores.
India’s robust ties
India’s ties with Africa are deep, diverse and harmonious that range from Mahatma Gandhi’s satyagraha against the apartheid to the UN peacekeeping role.
- Trade: Although India now imports less oil from Africa and sells fewer agricultural products, India-Africa trade reached $98 billion in 2022-23.
- Socio-economic engagements: India’s engagement is robust in sectors such as education, health care, telecom, IT, appropriate technology and agriculture.
- It has provided 42,000 scholarships since 2015.
- Approximately three million people of Indian origin live in Africa, many for centuries. They are Africa’s largest non-native ethnicity.
- Investment: India was the fifth largest investor in Africa and has extended over $12.37 billion in concessional loans.
India’s G20 opportunity
- India could consult like-minded G-20 partners and multilateral institutions for a comprehensive semi-permanent platform to resolve the stalemated security and socio-economic situations in several parts of Africa.
- It should deliver political stability and economic development by combining peacekeeping with socio-political institution building.
- India can offer force multipliers such as targeted investments and transfer of relevant and appropriate Indian innovations, such as the JAM trinity, DBT, UPI, and Aspirational Districts Programme.
By offering a more participative and less exploitative alternative, New Delhi can make the India-Africa ecosystem an exemplary win-win paradigm for the 21st century.
Source: The Hindu
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. FAQ: What is India’s G-20 opportunity for an African Renaissance?
Answer: India’s G-20 opportunity for an African Renaissance refers to India’s role in the G-20 as an opportunity to foster the socio-economic development and growth of African nations by promoting collaborative initiatives and policies within the G-20 framework.
2. FAQ: How can India contribute to the African Renaissance through the G-20?
Answer: India can contribute to the African Renaissance through the G-20 by advocating for policies that support sustainable development, infrastructure investment, and technology transfer to African countries, thereby accelerating their progress and fostering growth.
3. FAQ: Why is India’s involvement in the G-20 crucial for an African Renaissance?
Answer: India’s involvement in the G-20 is crucial because it allows India to leverage its influence to shape global policies and investments that benefit African nations, ultimately creating a more equitable and prosperous global order.
4. FAQ: What are the potential benefits of an African Renaissance for India?
Answer: An African Renaissance can provide India with opportunities for trade, investment, and collaboration on various fronts. It can also strengthen India’s position as a global leader in South-South cooperation, leading to increased diplomatic and economic influence.
5. FAQ: How can India strengthen ties with African nations through the G-20?
Answer: India can strengthen ties with African nations by actively engaging in bilateral discussions, supporting African priorities, and facilitating collaborative projects within the G-20. This engagement can lead to mutually beneficial relationships and partnerships between India and African countries, further fostering the African Renaissance.
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