India’s G-20 Opportunity For An African Renaissance

Relevance: GS 2 - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

(Source: The Hindu, 08/25/23)

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Why in the news?

• In recent times, Africa has begun to assert its presence on the global stage, engaging in multilateral forums such as BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), the G-20, and the United Nations General Assembly.
• Despite its significance, the continent's representation remains atypical, with South Africa being the primary representative of the African nations within these platforms.

Challenges and disruptors

• Africa, encompassing 54 countries and constituting over a quarter of the "Global South," faces a range of existential challenges.
  • Misgovernance,
  • unplanned development,
  • the dominance of certain tribes in power dynamics
  • Corruption
  • Emerging threats such as Islamic terror, inter-tribal conflicts,
  • changing climate patterns,
  • runaway food inflation,
  • urbanization, and youth unemployment further strain the socio-political fabric.
  • resurgence of generals taking power in nations like Egypt, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
• Military interventions by countries like France, the US, and Russia's Wagner Group, meant to suppress militancy, paradoxically worsen problems. These actions inadvertently bolster dictatorships protecting economic interests like uranium in Niger, gold in the Central African Republic, and oil in Libya.

Eroding international support

• China: China has been Africa’s largest trading partner and investor, however slowdown in the Chinese economy and trade has 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: Russia had earlier advocated the Wagner Group for security solutions in Africa. However, the group's rebellion against the Kremlin and the Prigozhin death in an air crash, has led to uncertainity.
• West: 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. Moreover, Europe’s main concern is limited to stopping illegal migration from African shores.

Focus on Africa

• The 15th BRICS summit is taking place in South Africa on August 23-24, focusing on "BRICS and Africa."
• This was followed by the 18th G-20 Summit hosted by India in early September, addressing "global south" issues with a focus on Africa.
• The United Nations General Assembly's annual session is also commencing, underscoring the significance of Africa's challenges on the global conscience.

India’s robust ties

• India’s ties with Africa are deep, diverse, and harmonious ranging from Mahatma Gandhi’s satyagraha against the apartheid to the UN peacekeeping role.
• Trade: India-Africa trade reached $98 billion in 2022-23. India was the fifth largest investor in Africa and has extended over $12.37 billion in concessional loans.
• India’s investment and other socio-economic engagements with Africa remain robust, especially in such sectors as education, health care, telecom, IT, appropriate technology and agriculture.
• Infrastructure: India has completed 197 projects and has provided 42,000 scholarships since 2015.
• Indian Diaspora: Approximately three million people of Indian origin live in Africa, many for centuries. They are Africa’s largest non-native ethnicity.

Way forward

• India is well placed to leverage its comprehensive profile with Africa to help the continent either bilaterally or through these multilateral forums.
• The G-20 Summit will present it with a historic opportunity to up the ante.
• India has the opportunity to engage like-minded G-20 partners and multilateral institutions, devising a robust and lasting framework to tackle entrenched security and socio-economic issues in various African regions.
• India can offer force multipliers such as targeted investments and transfer of relevant and appropriate Indian innovations, such as the JAM trinity (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile), DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer), UPI (Unified Payments Interface), 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.

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FAQs

MCQ

Question: In which one of the following groups are all four countries members of G20? (UPSC-2020)

(a) Argentina, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey

(b) Australia, Canada, Malaysia and New Zealand

(c) Brazil, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam

(d) Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea

Question: Consider the following statements: (UPSC-2016)

The India-Africa Summit

1. held in 2015 was the third such Summit
2. was actually initiated by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1951

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2