The Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses has hosted the Africa Day Roundtable annually since the last three years in order to commemorate Africa Day, which was earlier referred to as African Freedom Day and African Liberation Day. The IDSA Africa Day Roundtable has evolved into a well-established platform to discuss India-Africa ties. It contributes to the giant strides that India has taken under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to re-define and transform its ties with the dynamic continent of Africa.

• Amb. Sujan R. Chinoy |
• July-December 2019 |
• Africa Trends

It has been a time of great change in the world in the last few years. There is also great change in Africa with greater democratisation, political stability, economic growth and regional integration. There is more movement towards trade and investment and a greater consciousness to use aid with responsibility and not overdo borrowings so that debt management can be well-ordered. A more business-like approach is visible in Africa and among its partners.

• Gurjit Singh |
• July-December 2019 |
• Africa Trends

As the digital infrastructure backed by China becomes increasingly prevalent in the African continent, it is also important for the latter to have enough oversight to ensure that these tools are not misused. Moreover, it would be more beneficial for Africa to allow other players to thrive in the region.

• Kritika Roy |
• January-June 2019 |
• Africa Trends

It will be difficult to build a set of genuine national security forces when there is no widespread agreement on what constitutes the Somali ‘nation’ and how it should be governed. The future of Somalia thus hangs in balance.

• Aarushi Vikram |
• January-June 2019 |
• Africa Trends

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to India provided an opportunity to honour the contribution of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi and reinvigorate India’s relations with South Africa, a strategic partner and a leading economic power in Africa.

• Ruchita Beri |
• January-June 2019 |
• Africa Trends

The work for the Department of Peace Operations is thus amply clear. It must privilege the substantive side in its thinking as it approaches mandate making. This would ease the work of peacekeepers and contain the thrust in recent years towards a militarisation of peacekeeping under the cover of robust peacekeeping.

• Ali Ahmed |
• January-June 2019 |
• Africa Trends

In many ways Turkey is reviving its historic relations with Africa with an eye to strengthen economic ties and gain strategic depth, but for some this is a reminder of the bitter past and represents neo-Ottomanism.

• Md. Muddassir Quamar |
• July-December 2018 |
• Africa Trends

Africa has an extensive and strategically located maritime space. This domain is vital for various reasons, including its abundance of economic resources and as a conduit for trade. Unfortunately, the potential of the African maritime space is being undermined by persistent, multifaceted and fluid domestic, regional and international threats and vulnerabilities. To tackle this, littoral African states have entered into various collaborative engagements at international and inter-agency level. The success of these arrangements is in turn greatly hampered by various practical challenges, including mistrust, diversity, ‘silo approach’ and lack of identified common Afro-centric security priorities and protocols. An urgent need for a functional collaborative engagement emerges as vital for a sustainable blue economy in Africa.

• Njoki Mboce |
• July-December 2018 |
• Africa Trends

Aid to, and investment in, strategically located countries in the IOR to establish a strong presence has been the thrust of the Chinese strategy. The steadily growing economic cooperation with Comoros is part of this strategy. For a China with global aspirations and a large economy to bankroll that aspiration, the engagement with Comoros promises to yield significant benefits in return for relatively little.

• Maitreyee Shilpa Kishor |
• July-December 2018 |
• Africa Trends

An increased level of engagement of the G20 with Africa could be significant as it could activate the existing G20 initiatives. It is also significant because it proposes to venture into new and critical areas such as skill development of women and rural youth, as well as a focus on renewable energy which are fundamental to capitalise on increased private investment.

• Arpita Anant |
• July-December 2018 |
• Africa Trends