45 results found
As the Omicron wave in Africa recedes, hard lockdowns seem to be a thing of the past
Gulf’s involvement in Horn of Africa can be seen as both a boon and a curse.
By pledging humanitarian assistance, but ignoring that conflict is the root cause of famines, the US and UK aren’t making a difference.
Considering the importance of Lines of Credits in India's development cooperation programme, ORF has undertaken a study of the system and process of LOCs. Early results point to need for improvements in the system.
An efficient and low-cost transport system is a prerequisite for African countries to become competitive in the global market.
The COVID-19 outbreak poses immense challenges to Africa’s resilience. The pandemic’s economic fallout, caused by disruptions in global and regional value chains and a slump in commodity prices, can derail the progress which the continent has recorded in recent years. Despite the bleak forecasts, however, African countries have managed to mount a concerted response to the pandemic. This paper examines the extent of the economic and health imp
Even after the decolonisation of Africa, the continent was unable to formulate, let alone implement its own agenda because of its deep political and economic vulnerabilities. This situation has changed in the last two decades, and today, Africa is witnessing political and economic resurgence. Its leaders realise that the time has come for African development to be owned and driven by the African people themselves. There is a new enthusiasm for th
With its new strategy for partnership with African countries, France aims to break away from its past approach towards the continent
Equivocal sentiments emanate from African countries on their stance on voting for the UN resolution demanding withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrai
Despite the importance of capacity building in India’s development cooperation programme with African countries, a comprehensive assessment of India
The Western Indian Ocean region’s geographical proximity and its rich natural resources, provides India with a great opportunity to increase its mar
The fading of Sino-optimism seen in African countries and the emergence of new western initiatives in counter to BRI are ample reasons for China to re
How are the African countries dealing with the renewed interest in Africa by China, the US, and Russia?
Over the last two decades, China has established a significant economic presence in most African countries. Its lucrative economic investment package, flexible political approach, and focused big-ticket development projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) provide an ostensibly massive opportunity to African countries. However, the unilateral nature of the initiative, the lack of transparency and accountability to African countries, and t
Are African countries ready to handle a potential outbreak?
The Mali crisis has attained added significance in view of the fact that many other African countries like Nigeria and Somalia are also facing the problem of terrorism. The weakness of the armed forces in most African nations encourages such rebel forces. This re-emphasises the urgent need for an efficient African Rapid Deployment Force.
In recent years, China has increasingly invested in West Africa to further its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, diversify its supply chains, and acquire critical minerals and raw materials for its domestic industries. Indeed, China sees immense potential in West Africa for the region’s ability to provide a secure supply of critical minerals and energy resources insulated from the West. Beijing is now the region’s largest bilateral trading
Recent events in Algeria and Sudan have brought the difficult and complicated task of democratic civilian transition in African countries back into fo
The importance of today's Africa for India is self-evident. India's ambitions of being a global power cannot be achieved without the support of the African continent consisting of 55 countries. Nowhere is the importance of African countries felt more than on the issue of the expansion of the UN Security Council.
Whether China will be able to implement its commitments at a fast pace and accord priority to important areas of cooperation will ultimately depend on
The New Delhi Declaration’s policy commitments in the health sector emphasise the role of the G20 in revising the existing financial and global heal
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of healthcare systems and strained economies across the globe. India and countries in Africa have emerged as hotspots due to the dual burden of large populations and weak health infrastructure. This lack of infrastructure, coupled with decreasing investments in healthcare over the years, has left their societies and governments underprepared and potentially overwhelmed by COVID-19. As developing reg
Africa has emerged as a favoured investment destination on account of the high rate of growth experienced by many African countries and discovery of oil.
India's economic cooperation with many of the African countries is booming but some parliamentarians from Africa think that to make the cooperation more constructive, India should try to make the local population also stake holders.
Saying that India is ideally placed to build partnerships with African countries, the Rwandan High Commissioner to India, Mr. Williams Nkurunziza, has suggested that India should take the lead in the industrialisation and human resource development of Africa by investing in its capacity building.
Incidents in China should serve as a reminder that racial bias against Africans will be counterproductive for countries wanting to pursue a holistic partnership with African countries.
India and Africa’s complementary sectoral priorities and similar roles in the evolving global food markets present numerous opportunities for collaboration in the agricultural sector. This paper analyses the potential for India-Africa cooperation towards food security and capacity building. It makes an assessment of Indian partnership with African countries in the areas of agriculture and food security, outlines current initiatives in both regi
The Western Indian Ocean Region (WIOR) is linked to India in several ways, yet it remains conspicuous in its absence from India’s foreign policy discourse. This lack of attention is now beginning to reverse as external players stake their geopolitical claims in the region. India has responded by reorienting its own nautical outlook towards WIOR and building friendly relationships with African countries that straddle the region. This bri
The seventh of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030. This challenge is acute in the African continent, home to large populations without access to electricity and clean cooking fuel. This brief explores the scope for cooperation between India and Africa in not only achieving SDG 7, but while doing so, also considering the targets set by SDG 5 to
The US needs to seriously reconsider its policy of advising African countries about how they go about their foreign policy or risk losing any goodwill it has left in the region. Also, perhaps, Obama's Africa visit has come too late in the day and his promises are too little to entice the Africans.
African countries should learn from mistakes that have already been made while pursuing their own path in Internet security.
This paper analyses the initiatives for regional integration in East Africa and the challenges that are being faced in this regard. The paper also examines the development initiatives taken by India in the region. Following the European withdrawal, statesmen ushering in independent Africa were faced with the dire prospect of addressing the many problems their colonial overlords had left upon them. Independent Africa was left in abject poverty
Questions of relevance have come to the fore with the decision by three African countries — Burundi, South Africa and Gambia — to withdraw from th
India and Japan’s economic vision is that of an ‘Asia and Africa Growth Corridor’ (AAGC) empowering states to peacefully counter and constrain Chinese revisionism. However, a stable AAGC will depend on enhanced security cooperation and the current rules-based order upheld by the US-led security framework. While current Indian and Japanese engagements in Asia are conducive to successful cooperation, weaker economic and military engagements w
The African countries are set to launch the African Continental Free Trade Area or AfCFTA, the biggest free trade agreement in the world since the World Trade Organization was created in the 1990s. When implemented, the AfCFTA is projected to increase intra-African trade by 52.3 percent by 2022, from 2010 levels. In turn, higher trade levels can facilitate economic growth, transform domestic economies, and help the countries achieve the Sustainab
Unlike in other regions of the world, the value of intra-Africa trade has remained low over the years. Moreover, Africa accounts for just 2 percent of global trade. In 2021, African countries launched the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which aims to create a single African market for the free movement of goods, services, labour, and capital, and increase intra-African trade. AfCFTA may be able to provide Indian firms and in
The many success stories of Indian LOC funded projects, which has been welcomed positively by Africa, indicates the point that African countries have
The adoption of digital payments has risen exponentially over the past decade in many countries including India and those in the African continent. In India, the growth has run parallel to rapid mobile penetration, aided by initiatives like Aadhaar, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), and IndiaStack, as well as the unintended push factor created by demonetisation in November 2016. This brief discusses the landscape of fintech—‘finan
The ‘Compact with Africa’ (CWA) is the main pillar of a renewed G20 partnership with the continent. Its objective is to attract more private investment to Africa, especially for infrastructure. African countries face the challenge of diversifying their economies and promoting industries and services that can absorb a rapidly growing labour force. Lack of investment and Africa’s massive infrastructure gap are major obstacles to this economic
Given the dearth of natural resources, all major powers are intensifying their collaboration with African countries and investing in infrastructure an
The wide array of economic sectors covered under the PGII’s Lobito Corridor is aimed at countering Chinese presence in African countries
Russia’s foreign policy underlines the significant role that both China and African countries will play
There are multiple reasons for African countries to be cautiously optimistic about the new US policy.
